Inheritance
by MidnightEmber
Summary: Salazar Slytherin bound Earth, Air, Fire and Water to himself and through him to his descendants. Now that Voldemort has been resurrected he shall assume his inheritance. But who are his elementals? Slash-LV/HP
1. Earth Awakens

**~ Inheritance ~**

**Summary:** Salazar Slytherin bound Earth, Air, Fire and Water to himself and through him to his descendants. Now that Voldemort has been resurrected he shall assume his inheritance. But who are his elementals?

**Warning:** Slash (male/male), Sex Scenes, Violence, Gore, Character Deaths, Manipulative Dumbledore… You've been warned.

**Pairing:** Voldemort/Harry Potter

**Disclaimer:** Do you see Severus Snape ALIVE at the end of Deathly Hallows? No? Then I do not own Harry Potter…

**Legend: **

"_Parseltongue"_

_Letters/newspaper articles_

"HOWLER"

"Order"

* * *

**~ Chapter One: Earth Awakens ~**

Several things had changed at Privet Drive since the beginning of the summer holidays. The most noticeable being the return of a lithe fourteen year old teenager who wished to be anywhere but at home during his break.

Harry Potter, who was currently completing his list of 'chores' for outside, was always on guard. Now that Voldemort had returned he wasn't sure whether he was safe at the Dursley's where he couldn't defend himself properly from anything. How was he supposed to defend himself against fully trained wizards when he couldn't use a wand? Were the blood wards supposed to mystically keep everything desiring him harm out? But then Voldemort had Harry's blood pumping through his veins so did that mean he could pass through the super wards whenever he desired?

Honestly some people just didn't think about these situations long enough, Harry thought pulling out another non-existent weed. How did Dumbledore expect some muggles to protect him from the Dark Lord?

Never mind that, there were things more important to him. He hadn't received any mail from his 'friends' all summer. Nothing. Sure he received The Daily Prophet but that was it. He was so bored that he had actually taken to reading the entire Prophet cover to cover not that there was anything interesting mentioned. Of course he was mentioned and slandered in every section, not that it truly bothered him. It was their problem that they couldn't conceive the possibility that Voldemort returned to human form. Why would he bother to lie about something that important?

Naturally everybody believed that he was a raving lunatic who belonged in St. Mungo's alongside Dumbledore for this one 'lie' he kept speaking. He agreed that the headmaster definitely belonged in a psyche ward (honestly lemon drops, need he say more) but he was telling the truth. In the end he just decided to let everyone believe what they desired. He wasn't that influential as to change the minds of every person in wizarding Britain just by releasing a press conference. After all he was simply a child. The only opinions that mattered to him were those of his friends not that he was likely to receive that currently.

Those were the least of his worries. Nightmares of the graveyard continued to plague his every thought. There was nothing he could do about that though short of going to see a psychiatrist and that definitely wasn't an option. How would he explain half of what he had been through to a muggle? Magic, wizards and dragons, oh my! Nope, that was definitely not an option.

That night at the graveyard had been the worst day of his life and everyone believed it to be a lie. Eventually Harry had come to terms with the thought that people didn't believe he was innocent. Some people had the nerve to say that he had actually killed Cedric though there wasn't any proof to back up their claims. After all, the last spell on his wand was Expelliarmus and it had been confirmed that Cedric had died from the Killing Curse. How could he kill with a disarming spell anyway? Not that he was complaining, with that one spell he had saved his life. Luck had yet again been on his side. But these thoughts often led to only more nightmares.

Harry shivered at the thought of his own nightmares even though the sun's searing heat was bearing unbearably upon him. They were terrible and then he would wake up to Vernon banging on the door in a drowsy state. He could still remember Vernon's words after one of his nightmares,

"Figures the freak can't even have _normal_ dreams."

Over the past few weeks he had suffered from numerous nightmares, all repeating the same thing over and over again, Cedric's death and Voldemort's resurrection. After replaying the same scene night after night, Harry finally ceased blaming himself. He knew that nothing he could have done would have stopped Voldemort from issuing that particular order (not that he hadn't attempted to prevent it during his dream). After all Voldemort didn't care about anyone apart from himself and his goals. He wasn't going to concern himself with something that he couldn't change. At least that thought process had eased his nightmares slightly.

No, what really worried Harry was what was currently occurring around him. He was changing and he wasn't sure whether it was excellent or terrible.

Harry knew that his body had changed and with it his magic. The growth spurt had occurred over night or so it seemed. He was still small for his age but at least he was taller than Hermione now… though he would never reach Ron's height. His eyes were even more vibrant than before glittering like emeralds in the sun. He could even see everything perfectly without the use of his ugly glasses. His skin had become as pale as porcelain ruining the golden tan he had spent months to gain. However his raven hair had remained the rat's nest that it always was much to his ire.

He didn't care for any of that though. Appearances meant very little to him. No what bothered him the most was what occurred when he stepped outside.

Harry had always loved the outdoors. It was an escape from the Dursley's. The gardens somehow relaxed him and he revelled in that feeling. Not many things calmed him now but being outside was one of them. Now when he stepped outside weird occurrences had begun. Nature seemed to have a mind of its own. Everything grew correctly. No weeds grew at all. The garden was in fact perfect… for spring. Yet it wasn't spring at all it was summer and gardens weren't supposed to survive on very little water during humid months yet maintain this level of health.

The lush green lawn was perfectly mown with hardly a blade out of place. The single tree in the backyard swayed in the humid breeze as if it were cool and refreshing, its leaves acting as if it were in a dance. Hedges were sharp and defined, marking the boundary around the yard from the neighbours. Seeds that he had planted only a day ago had already begun to sprout and reveal the numerous types of flowers that were there. Even in the heat they managed to stand straight and tall, no sign of the lack of feeding they were receiving. The garden was perfect in every way.

He had seen the neighbour's gardens all looking half dead from the heat wave that was coursing through this summer but their garden was healthy and thriving regardless of how little water it had received. Harry couldn't do much with the restrictions on water so he used it where it was necessary. But regardless of how little water the garden received it continued to grow at an astounding rate. Surely Aunt Petunia would notice this? Nope she didn't even think about it as everyone complimented her on a gorgeous and thriving garden. They all desired to know how she maintained it but all she replied was,

"It's a family secret."

Of course it was a secret since not even she knew how Harry had kept her garden alive. Not that he could tell her if she asked anyway. But as the month wore on the gardens surrounding them began to have the same effect. Gardens thriving from what appeared to be the strange weather, he knew better. Nothing could grow in this heat without a little help… and since the gardens weren't getting water it could only have been one other thing. Like always it was something to do with him and his magic. By the end of the month the entire street was green and healthy even the park down the road was healthy and thriving. Thankfully the Dursley's weren't even suspicious about his behaviour when concerned with the garden. Nor were they likely to discover it any time soon.

The Dursley's were keeping their distance this year but that was only because Mrs Weasley talked to them briefly at the train station. Actually it was more like she scolded them as if they were little children. That hadn't been pleasant at all though they did get the message. Harry didn't have as many chores now unlike past years. That was a blessing since most of the chores he now did were outdoors and cooking. Both were acceptable. He also got to eat at least three times a day as long as he prepared it for himself and didn't sit with them while they ate. That rule didn't bother him either in fact he preferred to cook his own meals (at least in their house he wasn't about to get poisoned) and liked to keep his family at a distance anyway.

"Boy, we're having guests over, get into your room now!"

The name calling however hadn't changed. He was still 'boy' almost like his relatives couldn't recall his name. Actually he would bet they didn't know his name at all and couldn't even begin to guess what it started with. Harry looked up into the face of Vernon. He refused to call them aunt and Uncle anymore since he didn't think of them as family not that they seemed to mind at all. They actually counted it as a blessing.

"Yes sir."

Harry stood and brushed the dirt from off his pants (he didn't want to clean the floor because he made it dirty) and left the garden he hadn't needed to touch before walking inside. Moving into the kitchen he grabbed a piece of fruit and quickly made himself a sandwich before heading upstairs. He remembered having a small bottle of water upstairs and some chocolate and other lollies from Hogsmeade trips he could also snack on so he wasn't worried.

He made it to his room just as the doorbell rang and closed his doors as the front door opened. Deciding to have a shower in the morning he threw off his shirt and replaced it with another glancing at the marking on his left wrist. It was a black and green Celtic band which looked oddly like a tattoo apart from the fact it was constantly moving in a circle around his wrist. What it signified he had no idea but he was sure it had something to do with the strange occurrences around in the area.

Petunia had spotted it a few days previously and thought that it was a way of rebelling against the wizarding world by introducing something muggle to the wizarding culture. She had actually been rather pleased with that simple thought that he hadn't been made to do any chores for three days. He wasn't about to contradict her belief if it meant she left him alone.

Harry sighed. For someone who just wanted to be normal he sure wasn't an average person or an average wizard. That really disturbed him. No matter how much he tried he was still a 'freak' or at least that was the only thing his family ever told him. Why couldn't he just be normal for once? Even in the wizarding world?

Hedwig hooted at him sadly watching as he fingered the band like tattoo around his wrist. She was his first friend and wouldn't judge him on yet another weirdness to add to the list which included surviving an Avada Kedavra, youngest seeker in a century, killing a man by touching him, protecting the Philosopher's stone, parselmouth, killing a Basilisk and learning the Expecto Patronum charm at the age of thirteen. There was more he was positive of that but he couldn't quite recall them all at the moment.

Harry ran his hands through Hedwig's feathers in a comforting gesture as he yawned. It wouldn't do to have her screeching while Vernon had guests downstairs that would just give him a reason not to ignore him anymore. With nothing more to do, he flopped down onto his bed fell into a light sleep.

x-x-x-x-x

Harry knew immediately that he was dreaming. Of course that didn't stop him from pinching himself a few times since everything appeared to be so real. This isn't a usual dream, Harry thought. This was one of his visions but it wasn't a normal vision either . . . what could have been so different?

Normally Voldemort was surrounded by his Death Eaters torturing someone with the Cruciatus Curse but now there was only Voldemort and one other Death Eater present. He was currently standing in a large stone meeting room which was normally for Death Eater meetings but the walls were lined with Slytherin draperies of silver and green. Each appeared to have the Slytherin crest upon it revealing that Voldemort truly delved into his lineage. Honestly everyone knew that he was the last remaining heir of Slytherin did he have to push it this far to remind everyone?

Voldemort was as usual sitting on his throne. That for once never changed. But _he_ had changed if only slightly. Harry might never had noticed if his attention had been elsewhere.

Harry was positive though that he could see the smallest amount of auburn brown hair growing on his pale bald head. Voldemort's nose was also less snake-like. This caught his attention. In the graveyard he was positive that Voldemort had been pleased with his appearance even if he did have a reptilian look or maybe he was merely pleased that he had been resurrected. If so then why was his appearance changing now? What was the cause?

The one Death Eater that was also in the room was bowing before Voldemort waiting to be acknowledged by his master. Obviously this Death Eater was ranked higher than the others if he didn't have to kneel and kiss Voldemort's robes as well which most of them had to do.

Harry knew that the Death Eaters had a ranking order and were revealed by the masks that each member wore, preventing the enemy on deducing their identities. The Inner Circle consisted of several select members several of which were still in Azkaban, thankfully. Their masks were silver. As far as he knew Lucius Malfoy was Voldemort's right-hand man and knew the most of his plans out of anyone in the Inner Circle. Regardless of what the others boasted. They were the ones who were given the more intense missions.

Then there was the Outer Circle who consisted of Death Eaters who had either participated in the First War or had proven to be loyal to their master. Their masks were black. These followers were often sent on missions that couldn't be trusted with the lower Death Eaters but were simple enough to not have any true meaning to the cause if they failed. Not that they wouldn't be punished for their failure.

Finally there was the Auxiliary Circle. They were simply those that had joined the Death Eaters after the First War. Harry knew that Voldemort thought most of these people expendable and only trusted them with raids and the occasional torture. If they died he could always brand more minions. Harry was positive that Wormtail fell into this category.

"Lucius tell me, has your son shown any signs?"

Lucius Malfoy pulled his hood down to reveal his blond hair and mercury eyes. Harry simply watched as Lucius stood there calmly as if he wasn't standing before a reptilian madman. Lucius was far more proud of his appearance than even Draco so it shocked Harry to see how uncaring he was of his master's appearance.

Harry decided to move closer so he could hear clearly what they were saying. It wouldn't do to have a vision only for him not to hear anything of importance. That wouldn't help him at all. Besides Harry knew that no matter how close he moved towards them he wouldn't be spotted. To them he was invisible, an entity that would never be heard.

"It would appear as if Draco possesses the power of an air elemental, my Lord," Lucius revealed, "He is already able to cause a stir with his emotions. Mostly when he is angry the objects in our house begin to levitate and fly around the room at varying speeds. It can be quite catastrophic and dangerous at times. He has already killed two of my house elves this past week."

Voldemort smirked gleefully. That worried Harry even more than his own predicament.

Harry noticed that Voldemort seemed especially keen on these elementals but for what purpose he wasn't sure. What were elementals anyway? This was one of those many times he wished that Hermione were here so he could understand what was happening. But then he remembered that he was angry with his friends and their lack of communication. If he knew what they were talking about perhaps he could warn the headmaster to what Voldemort was trying to attempt with them. Then he would at least be of some use instead of sitting at home doing nothing.

"Are there any markings on him?" Voldemort enquired.

Harry's heart missed a beat. Surely there was nothing that could identify an elemental… that really was a stupid thought. Of course something about them would provide identification otherwise no one would know when an elemental was born. He already knew that Veela, Siren and Vampires all had distinctive characteristics so why wouldn't elementals?

"There seems to be a black and silver band around his left wrist, my Lord. It appears to be of Celtic design and is on constant motion much like our paintings."

Subconsciously, Harry rubbed his own design. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears. Well that explained many things about what was occurring around him. The plants growing perfectly, never needing any water despite the temperature… somehow he would have rather stayed in the dark about this piece of information.

"Very well bring him to be tomorrow. I have a task he will need to complete before the end of this school year." Voldemort left no room for argument.

Lucius tensed then, Harry noticed. It appeared as if Lucius was protecting Draco as much as possible when it came to the Dark Lord. For some reason Harry was glad at that insight which puzzled him. Draco was his rival and had been for many years but no one deserved to be used as a tool for this madman. Obviously though tasks weren't designated to those not marked yet unless the band was a mark of its own? That could create several problems that he didn't wish to think on.

"If I may ask, my Lord, what use are the elementals to our cause?"

Lucius remained tense as if preparing for a round of the Cruciatus however none came. Normally if he has asked something so personal he would be under the curse for at least two minutes. Something was changing in his master and it had to do with the elementals. Lucius wasn't sure if this was a positive thing or not but he wasn't about to begin questioning that. He waited patiently as Voldemort seemed to contemplate the question before answering.

"There are only ever four elementals at any one time regardless of generation gaps. These elementals can only be controlled by Salazar's descendants and only ever by the current Lord at the time. However not every Lord and descendant of the line obtains elementals. It takes a descendant of great power to hold these elementals and the powers they possess under control. Many would wither and lose their minds beneath their grand power."

"If Dumbledore were to get his hands on one of my elementals he would find that they wouldn't obey him even if he gave them an order. They would not feel the urge to obey him. No, only a direct order from me can truly control them. So it matters not if they decided to run to their precious headmaster for help. All of that is mute. Once I have gathered all of them, their destructive force shall be used in this war to aid us and with them we shall be unstoppable." Voldemort revealed smirking.

The power that they could wield was that strong, Harry thought in disbelief as he ran the information over in his head. All he had managed to do was make plants grow but then again there was that once that he had gotten angry at his relatives. The light in the kitchen had exploded showering them all in hot glass shards. Harry had been fine yet the Dursley's had rushed to the hospital. He'd replaced the light the very next day on orders from a sore Vernon but that wasn't the point. Perhaps that was the power Voldemort was talking about?

He surely hoped not. A force that destructive would annihilate the Dark Lord's enemies without even a second thought. That wasn't good for Dumbledore or the Ministry. Yet why did he feel apathetic at that thought?

Lucius bowed deeply. It was obvious that he had just been provided valuable information that not many were privy to. Even if he was the Dark Lord's right-hand man, it didn't allow him all access to his master's secrets or plans. Of course that was why he was Voldemort's right-hand. He could gain more information than the other Death Eaters without being obvious about it.

"Now go Lucius for I want them under my control by the end of this school year."

Harry knew instantly that Draco would be charged with locating the other elementals. It would be a simple task if he figured out how to get the mark to recognize the others like Voldemort did with the Dark Mark. Anyone branded with that could instantly tell if someone else beared their master's mark. It was handy for the Death Eaters but not for those against them.

If Draco could utilize this then Harry would have to be on his guard. There was no way he was going to be carted off to Voldemort and told that he had to do everything he ordered. He would just be another slave to add to the Dark Lord's ever growing collection. That would be the worst year so far in his wizarding life or his life in general. He could do without that thank you very much.

"Of course my Lord, it shall be done."

Lucius pulled up his hood and placed his silver mask on his face before leaving the throne room as elegantly as if he were walking down Diagon Alley. Harry, not knowing who to follow to continue the vision, remained where he was standing in the throne room. He guessed correctly when the room didn't change though he definitely didn't like being alone with Voldemort in the room even if he were invisible. It still set his nerves on end.

"Soon I shall have the power that is rightfully mine, mine by birth right. Dumbledore and his precious Order will no longer stand in my way to victory. I shall rule the wizarding world and create a new order." Voldemort whispered to himself.

Standing he conjured a floor length mirror and looked into his reflection expressionlessly. His appearance was beginning to change and that would make it easier to gain future allies before he began the Second War. It would make all of his plans easier to achieve without having the constant worry. He would be powerful… unstoppable.

Pulling up the left sleeve of his robe, Voldemort traced the four bands in his forearm. Three of them remained black, while the other was slowly beginning to show signs of silver and moved almost lazily around his wrist. Obviously the bands began to show their colour when he suspected the identity of an elemental. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Voldemort didn't have any reason to suspect him of being an elemental, let alone his Earth elemental.

He watched as Voldemort studied his reflection before realizing that as he obtained control of his elementals his true features began to return. That was why Voldemort was slowly changing his appearance. The more he knew about his elementals the more he knew about himself. Once he regained his true appearance then he would be even stronger and more charismatic as he had once been. Tom Marvolo Riddle would once again walk the earth in his true guise.

"Earth, Air, Fire and Water… soon you shall all be mine…"

It was whispered so quietly that Harry had to strain to hear it until he looked into the mirror and realized Voldemort was looking directly at him…

x-x-x-x-x

Harry's eyes snapped open, his breath laboured. That was _definitely_ not a normal dream or nightmare, it was a vision. Just like his usual visions Voldemort always had a way of telling that he was present even if he couldn't be seen. He cursed his stupidity. Just because it wasn't a usual vision of Voldemort didn't mean he should have been careless. If he had been quiet and remained hidden in the shadows, Voldemort would never have known that he was there in the first place.

But did he know that it was Harry? Could it have been possible that he believed it was one of his elementals and that was why he muttered that sentence? To entice the elemental towards him? To explain what their future was going to be like?

Harry shook his head. It didn't matter he was an elemental anyway. There was no denying it. Everything that had been happening around him lately had occurred due to his magic that was almost a certain thing. However he had believed that it had something to with his thoughts and how they seemed to dwell on the graveyard. After all a graveyard was full of dead things while his gardens were full of life.

Letting out a shaky breath, Harry looked around his room. Nothing was normal. No matter where you looked you could tell that something else was going on with one Harry James Potter. There were papers on the ground with moving pictures decorating the front cover. All of his homework was written on parchment and quill yet there was a plain book lying only a few feet away. He was a freak exactly like his relatives often told him.

He had always aspired to be normal while others had aspired to be great. As a child he'd just wanted to be Harry… just Harry… but that wasn't going to happen anymore. He had another thing to worry about now and it all came down to two unforgettable facts…

He was an Earth elemental…

And Voldemort owned him.

* * *

**So hardly any changes this chapter but figured I'd upload it again anyway. Hope you all enjoyed.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	2. Grimmauld Place

**~ Chapter Two: Grimmauld Place ~**

Harry was beginning to get increasingly frustrated. He had only spent a month at Privet Drive and he was beginning to lose it. There was always something magical occurring around him and he had no way of telling anyone about it! It was as if everybody from the wizarding world had disappeared or forgotten that he existed. But that wasn't possible, right? Harry sighed. That was unlikely as he still received the Daily Prophet for all the good that did.

He'd had no other visions apart from the one a week ago when he had envisioned Voldemort speaking with Lucius Malfoy. That had aided to answer a few of his numerous questions but had also created many more.

A day after that vision his band had glowed and tingled slightly. Luckily for him it had occurred during the night when the Dursley's paid less attention to him, as the entire room had lit up beneath the night sky. He wasn't positive as to what that meant but he could make an accurate guess. Draco had been acknowledged as the Air elemental and now obeyed the Dark Lord. That caused him great worry for the future and the present.

His ability was changing. It had been growing stronger since the mark had flared. The gardens surrounding Privet Drive had come alive in the past week… literally.

Whenever he was lying beneath a tree in the shade, it didn't matter what angle the sun was at, the shadow of the tree remained to cover him by shifting ever so slightly. Flowers would turn to him almost enquiringly like they knew what he was going through and only wanted to support him in any way possible. The grass softened beneath his feet almost acting like an expensive plush carpet which was seriously strange.

However, what really had him stumped were the vines that continued to steal Dudley's belongings. It only ever occurred whenever he was cruel to Harry which sadly enough was quite often. Yesterday Dudley and his gang had begun the 'Harry Hunting' season which by the end of the day left him exhausted and not entirely sure what part of the neighbourhood he had run into. Once he'd returned home all Dudley did was play CD's over and over again so the bass would shake the house to its very foundation. It was entirely frustrating, enough so that Harry had wished for the entire collection to disappear.

The next day they were gone. Dudley's entire collection had mysteriously disappeared and no one could blame him since Vernon had taken to locking him in his room at night. Harry had celebrated that night but then things got out of hand. More items began to disappear. In the past week alone, Dudley had lost several of his computer games, ten more CD's, a pair of expensive Nike sneakers and one if his favourite consoles. Harry hadn't told the Dursley's when they'd called the police to report a robbery, but he'd seen the stolen items hidden amongst the vegetation in the park down the road.

In that regard this ability that he'd developed was very useful though it continued to terrify him.

He would have to tell someone about this ability but he didn't trust adults. They hadn't ever done anything for him. How could he begin to trust people if they hadn't done anything to earn that trust to begin with? Not to mention he didn't have the best of examples.

There were Vernon and Petunia who pretended he didn't exist and would probably faint should he mention or imply the word magic. Dumbledore would have that infernal twinkle in his eye and probably tell him that his ability was for the 'greater good' and it would aid in the defeat of Voldemort. Any of his professors were out since they didn't know him that well. That left the Weasley's, Sirius and Remus as his only candidates.

The Weasley's weren't exactly in his good graces at the moment, Ron and Ginny especially. They continued to ignore him when he needed them the most. What about that implied he could trust them with his secret? Nothing, so that knocked them out. Sirius treated him like the friend he had lost. He wasn't his father nor was he his mother but that didn't stop Sirius from getting that confused with who he was. That wasn't the help he needed, so that knocked him out. Then there was Remus. He was definitely a good choice to speak to since he'd been an excellent teacher and often looked at things in a rational way. However Harry wasn't sure whether he would tell the headmaster or not. That was something which he couldn't chance.

Then there was the fact he wasn't sure he wanted someone to find out what he could do. Not only was it something that set him apart from everyone else his age yet again but he was positive it was directly linked to Voldemort. Everyone would try to exploit it knowing it was a further connection to the Dark Lord and possibly a way to end him. No it was better it remained his secret at least till he found someone he could trust.

Suddenly, Dobby apparated into his room causing it to shake like it had in second year. Dobby bowled him over while hugging his legs, effectively breaking him from his depressing thoughts. Any other action or reason Dobby had for being there was erased in that second. Dobby was always happy to see him for some reason. Harry suspected it had something to do with Dobby secretly binding himself to Harry as his master before working at Hogwarts.

No house elf could go long without a master, someone to tell him what to do. That explained why Dobby was content to work for money while at Hogwarts, his master had yet to give him an order. However he had felt a bond from two different elves the previous year. He guessed it was Winky since she was also at Hogwarts with Dobby. Winky no longer had a master since Crouch was dead and no one desired a house elf that disobeyed orders. Truthfully he didn't know what to think on this matter but he knew that Winky had only ever been blamed to keep the secret that Barty Junior was alive.

There was no way he would tell Hermione that he had two house elves in his care. After all he didn't need her spouting nonsense at him all day long about abusive masters and indecent clothes. That would lead him to an emotional explosion which wouldn't be appreciated well by his 'caring' friends. However he would have a lot of fun ranting furiously at them regardless.

"What are you doing here Dobby?" Harry enquired.

"Dobby has very important letters for Master Harry Potter sirs from Master Harry's twin Weasleys and his Toady Friend." Dobby exclaimed once he had calmed down though he was still hopping on the spot.

"Thank you Dobby." Harry calmly took the letter from Dobby.

"Dobby, when did you and Winky bind yourself to me?" Harry asked nonchalantly.

He didn't want the excitable house elf to believe that he was ungrateful for what they had done. Harry was glad that they had given him preference over everyone else they could have chosen.

"Dobby is binding himself to yous sir when Winky is being freed from her terrible masters. Winky is not liking being a free elf and wanted to work for another families. Dobby is also not finding any work in times he is being a free elf either sir. So Dobby and Winky be bound to kind Harry Potter sir! Dobby and Winky like to serve Master Harry Potter sirs. He is good wizard and will treats us well."

Harry watched as Dobby talked while his ears flapped. He wasn't sure whether or not having two house elves was a good idea since he didn't have a lot of work for them to do. However he wouldn't turn his friend away.

"Very well Dobby, I shall call you when I needed you for something. For now remain at Hogwarts since that is where I spend most of the school year."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically and disappeared with a crack. That left Harry to read over his letters. There weren't many people it could be from if they were using Dobby as the messenger but he could never translate Dobby's names for his friends very well. They would have to change that, Harry sighed as he opened his first letter.

_To our dear investor,_

_How are you doing with your relatives? It has been an interesting few weeks with us and the experimenting that has occurred with the use of your generous grant. __**We are putting it to good use and you shall be pleasantly surprised with what we have created. Be sure that we won't be testing any on you in fear of your wrath though Ron is fair game.**__ Our dream is finally coming together and as such we are going to give you a third of all profit leaving the remaining two thirds for ourselves. Don't complain either as we won't take it back!_

_We are spending our luxurious holiday with Padfoot in his house though it is a dreadful dreary place. __**The entire place is filled with dark objects and severed house elf heads. It just screams dark arts. We have to continuously escape mum since she is going on a cleaning spree like no one has seen before.**__ Not that it is helping the place. If anything it appears even filthier than before. _

_Unfortunately the all-knowing Bumblebee has forbidden anyone from contacting you and also says you shall not be rescued from your personal hell as of yet. __**Personally we think that he's lost his marbles or maybe his eaten too many lemon drops. We discovered a way around that simple rule.**__ Technically you are in contact with your house elf (did you know that Dobby bound himself to you?) in case anyone asks. This way no one can take the blame since Dobby will automatically listen to you to keep you safe. The plan is fool proof! MWAHAHA . . . _

_There is something huge happening on our side though. Bumblebee appears to be inducting members into some sort of club. __**However the club happens to be 'adults only' and we have to graduate before we can join. I wonder what they are doing in the club of theirs.**__ There are plenty of members who are close to Bumblebee though. Can't name names as anyone could read this if it's lost. (Dobby assured us it won't get lost though!)_

_As usual Ron and Hermione are too busy bickering to even bother writing you a letter. We even explained to them that we had found a way around that little rule of Bumblebee's but they continued to bicker. __**Honestly they are like a married couple. It is sad and the best part is they don't even realize it.**_

_That is all from this side of the wizarding world!_

_**Though it may not be the last you hear from us!**_

_From your loyal subjects,_

_Gred and __**Forge**_

_P.S Ginny has also included a little note._

Harry shook his head. Even reading one of their letters was tiring if not amusing. He knew that the twins were always good at circumventing the rules however he wasn't sure he could trust them entirely. The Weasley family were close even though it appeared Percy was the exception to the rule. They didn't do anything that could possibly harm the family. If Harry became a problem they would sever ties and leave it at that regardless of how reluctant they felt. He would still get money from their business but that would be the extent of their closeness with him.

Then he turned towards the letter Ginny had written him. He knew that the youngest Weasley had a crush on him and prayed that it was gone since he knew that he saw her as only a little sister and nothing more. So when she tried to flirt with him it made him increasingly uncomfortable. She wasn't even that attractive especially when she blushed.

_Hi Harry,_

_How are you handling your confinement? I know that it sucks but hang in there! If you're not out by your birthday I'll help Fred and George steal another one of dad's muggle/magic gadgets and rescue you from them. I don't care what Bumblebee is saying. (Fred and George continued to call him that and it seems it has stuck with us wonder whether you'll get hooked as well?) You deserve to be surrounded by yours friends now._

_Ginny_

Harry couldn't even be bothered with a reply. He flung the offending letter at his rubbish basket and sat heavily on his bed. No one was coming for him yet. How was he supposed to get help with these abilities if no one would even talk to him? Well not anyone exactly but they weren't exactly being helpful either. Who was he supposed to tell at a time like this?

Not only that what group was Dumbledore gathering? Why were the Weasley's staying with Sirius and yet he wasn't allowed? It only confused and angered Harry. No one was coming for him yet they were allowed to remain in a large group with the only family he cared for? It wasn't fair!

When he'd finished sulking he realized that one letter still remained.

_Harry,_

_Included is a book that you should find useful to keep the boredom away._

_Regards, Neville_

As soon as he'd finished reading the letter it burst into smoke leaving only a thick book behind. Harry could only blink. Neville had sent him a book to keep the boredom away? How was a book supposed to do that? He wasn't really an avid reader like Hermione. Picking it up, he glanced at the title.

"1001 Ways to Defend Against the Dark"

Tilting his head, Harry was immediately drawn in. The book appeared to have a list of everything in it not just curses. There were ways listed to defend against Dark Creatures or to stop an illegal Potion from killing you. This book had everything! That would be very useful in the future. Harry smiled. Neville, despite his meek demeanour, was always good at cheering him up in situations such as this.

If there was only one person he could count on, it was Neville. However that left the other two thirds of the Gryffindor Trio without a leader. But honestly he couldn't find himself caring all that much. If they were too busy arguing with each other to bother writing him a letter than he didn't need them. He had others to rely on even if they thought otherwise. However he still wouldn't utter a word to them about his new ability. To be honest he didn't really trust anyone to keep his secret and that worried him.

The only person he could trust was himself and that would be difficult to live with.

Harry sighed. Even with the book, it was going to be a long summer.

x-x-x-x-x

The day of his birthday Remus arrived and Harry couldn't have been happier. When no letter had arrived on the stroke of midnight he had been concerned that he wasn't allowed to leave his personal hell hole until the end of August. He hadn't even received a card on his birthday as usual. That also meant that Fred, George and Ginny would attempt to come and get him but he didn't want them in trouble yet when school hadn't even started. He was not up to setting a new record.

"How have your holidays been Harry?" Remus asked politely.

His relatives were nowhere in sight. They'd decided that on Harry's birthday they would make themselves scarce so they wouldn't have to see the freaks that came to collect him.

"They were average but that will get better once I'm away from here."

In all honesty his 'holidays' had been completely rubbish. There had been nothing to do but chores and that wasn't interesting at all. He was ecstatic to leave but Remus didn't need to know that as of yet or at all considering his trust with adults. They all abandoned him so why should he tell them his problems? None of them needed to know because none of them truly cared.

It only took Harry five minutes to collect all of his belongings and pack his trunk. Most of it had remained in his trunk however he wanted to place the book Neville gave him in gently so it didn't get ruined. That was one of the few things he truly treasured that didn't have a connection to his parents.

"I'm ready." Harry said as he dragged his trunk down the stairs not bothering to carry it gently. If the stairs were damaged it was all the more payback for the Dursley's. Remus however didn't look too pleased about it, wincing every time it hit a step.

"Very well, we shall be off then."

Harry left the Dursley residence without a second look back. Though he had the feeling that something was changing. He watched in horrified silence as the gardens in Privet Drive began to wither and die almost as if they hadn't had enough water. Harry knew that they hadn't but that wasn't it. He was leaving and they were dying. He knew that his abilities had subconsciously created a thriving garden to keep him happy and away from his nightmares. Now that he was leaving it wasn't needed.

In response, the gardens had begun to lose the magic that he had pushed into them without thought. They were returning to their natural state. Harry hoped desperately that he wouldn't have to return next year. He would be punished terribly for that even if the Dursley's couldn't prove he had caused it.

The sound of the neighbours' screams of horror as they apparated away wasn't pleasant. Even Remus was cringing.

Once they had arrived at their destination, Harry couldn't help but look around with a raised eyebrow. They were in the middle of a London street. Tall homes surrounded them only adding more confusion to the situation. Where were they?

"Read this and remember it." Remus said as he slipped a sheet of paper towards him as they stopped walking down the street before a row of houses.

The piece of paper read, The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters is located at 12 Grimmauld Place, London.

Many questions raced through Harry's mind. Who was the Order of the Phoenix? Well that was obvious. It was the 'adult club' Fred and George had mentioned in their letter. But then there were other questions as well. What did they do? Who were members? What was their aim?

None of that would be answered however as a dark building appeared between numbers eleven and thirteen. Remus quickly ushered Harry through the door after destroying the sheet of paper with their location on it.

It was just as dark and dreary as the twins had said. The entire house screamed dark arts though everyone appeared to be calm about that. Everyone currently in the house, excluding the children, were gathering in the kitchen for what appeared to be a meeting. Remus noticed his focus on the group and interrupted.

"Harry, you'll have to go upstairs with Ron, Hermione, the twins and Ginny. There is a meeting which you're not allowed to attend yet. You're too young-"

"That's alright Remus. I'll speak to Sirius later."

Harry didn't bother explaining any further and continued towards the stairs even if he could feel the curious stares following him. To everyone, he had taken the change of location and privacy well… a little too well for all that knew him. Normally he would explode from not being kept up to date especially know that You-Know-Who had returned. But there was nothing. No hint of anger or sadness just apathy and curiosity about what lay further ahead of him.

That had everyone worried even if they didn't voice their opinion. What could have happened during the short two months at the Dursley's to cause such a reaction in the usual brash and easily angered Gryffindor? If he had suddenly turned to be calm and collected would he begin to quietly question everything around him, including his friends? No one knew that answer to that and they dreaded to discover it.

As soon as Harry opened the door Hermione was running at him with her arms spread wide for a hug. That was something he couldn't handle at the moment. She really wasn't that worried about him if she believed a hug could solve all of his problems and welcome him back into the Trio. He easily side stepped her and practically glided into the room towards Fred and George who were playing Exploding Snap. They at least had bothered to send him a letter explaining something.

"Harry, mate, what's wrong with you?" Ron asked as Hermione looked ready to burst into tears.

Harry didn't utter a word to them. After being ignored all summer he didn't think he would ever return to having a tight friendship with the two of the ever again. It just wasn't possible after how they had been acting all summer. Not to mention he had other friends who were perhaps even more loyal then they could ever hope to be.

"Honestly Harry what has gotten into you? If this is about not sending you any letters the headmaster forbid any contact with you." Hermione sniffled. "We won't apologize for doing as the Headmaster asks. He is more sensible and knows what he is doing– Harry, are you listening to a word I say, Harry?"

Harry was content to ignore them both. He didn't need to hear excuses. The twins had bypassed the wards around his house to send him something. Even Ginny had sent something though he shuddered to remember that. They would be the only three he would really speak to for the next few days though he couldn't completely trust because of their family loyalty.

Hermione seemed to realize that Harry wouldn't be paying them any attention but continued her emotional rant anyway. Ron turned red when he realised that he as being ignored in favour of his older brothers and sat in the corner hoping that Harry would notice that he was there. It didn't happen. There was no way that he would be paying them any attention in the near future.

x-x-x-x-x

Early the following morning found Harry searching the house for the Black Family Library, hoping that beyond all miracles there would be information on elementals within its wide range. He had effectively avoided any cleaning duty scheduled the day before with Mrs Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins by sheepishly admitting he hadn't completed his school work. It was a complete lie but it worked on Mrs Weasley's mothering so he was permitted to work instead of clean. She had sternly told him though that there wouldn't be a second day of this extra time. That meant he would have to clean the next day.

Harry was excellent at cleaning, having many years practice with the Dursley's. No one realized that his experience came from many years of child labour at the hands of monsters. If they did then they didn't care. During this time he ignored Ron and Hermione and only spoke briefly with Ginny (he didn't want to encourage any crush she may have developed for him further). Of course he also spoke occasionally with Mrs Weasley when she asked a question he had to answer. Fred and George managed to sneak away when everyone wasn't looking.

In all honesty Harry had never done something so useless before. At least at the Dursley's they attempted to keep things clean (even if it were just for show). This place however was just a mess especially when Kreacher would pop into the room seconds after they had cleaned only to undo their hard work. That house elf was the devil.

He was considering summoning Dobby and Winky to help but that would lead to unwanted questions and numerous scolding from Hermione which he wouldn't listen to.

With cleaning taking up his time during the day, that left the night to search the Black Library for elemental books. However a week of searching by candlelight and he was no closer to discovering any information of Slytherin's elementals or even Slytherin himself. You would think that a dark family would have at least one book on Salazar Slythering in the house. The family had been in the house for generations and yet there were no links to this subject.

In his frustration he through a book at the wall and instantly heard the screaming of Walburga Black. Luckily, all bedrooms had silencing spells on them in case someone rushed in during the night and woke her. Harry couldn't see how this was a good thing during an attack but really wasn't that interested to point it out. Tiredly, he went to pull the curtains across so she would be quiet however she surprised him by actually speaking to him in a civil manner.

"How are you dear? She asked in a strict yet pleasant tone after spotting him.

It was entirely weird but he wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings at the moment... so he answered.

"I'm frustrated." Harry growled before he even realized who he was talking to. He grabbed a hold of the curtains and began to close them.

"What has gotten you so frustrated?"

"I need… (he paused, he was conversing with Sirius' crazy mother, mentally shaking himself he continued)… I need to find information on elementals. If possible the elementals bound to Slytherin and his descendants." Harry explained cautiously as if he expected her to resume shouting.

It wasn't every day that she was nice to someone. In fact she wasn't even pleasant to her own son which shocked him when he had first witnessed her. Whose mother shouted curses at her son? Then again Sirius shouted curses just as nasty back so he figured they were even.

Walburga peered at his arm and noticed the Celtic band that showed beneath his short sleeved shirt that he wore at night. Even though she was a portrait Harry swore she jumped for joy. That was definitely out of character for what he had witnessed of her. Obviously being an elemental of Slytherin was a tremendous deal or some such for her to be acting like this. That was what scared him the most.

If a dark family thought this to be an honour then what would Dumbledore and the Order take of it? Surely it wouldn't be good for him or others like him.

"Of course, that would be such an honour especially for someone in your position. Pity that neither of my sons were elementals, bound to Slytherin's descendants but no matter. You shall have to find all the information you need in a hidden section behind the potions books. They are rather old so handle them with care."

Harry thanked her and closed her back up to avoid looking suspicious before returning to the library. Once there, he followed her instructions and finally discovered the elemental books.

The set of seven books were hand written by Salazar Slytherin himself. As far as Harry could tell every single book was written in parseltongue even the books for the other elementals. How were they supposed to read up on their abilities when only two known people shared this ability?

However that brought up the question… How did Voldemort know about his elementals if he didn't have the books? He wasn't positive but as heir he might have the Slytherin Vault and with it the portrait of Slytherin which would have the knowledge of all elementals. For now though he had the only set of books ever created.

The books were kept in a small trunk and in perfect condition regardless of what Walburga said. They even came with a key to keep the trunk locked for security. Seeing that it was early in the morning and he had yet to sleep, Harry shrunk the trunk and attached it to the chain the key was on. Carefully, he placed the necklace like chain around his neck, making the key and trunk appear like charms instead of objects.

This would keep them safe and hidden from view though it would look suspicious for him, considering he didn't have it on him when he arrived. He could always lie though. There was no way he was going to allow the only answers he possessed to be taken away from him. No, this was the safest way. He would lie to keep his secret safe… even to those he loved.

x-x-x-x-x

A smile stretched across Harry's face as he woke the three hours later. That lasted until he saw Ron sleeping across the room. They had plenty of rooms in the ancestral house yet he was sharing with Ron. It was a conspiracy and he didn't enjoy it at all. Sure Ginny and Hermione were sharing as were the twins but it wasn't needed. Revealing this sounded more like an excuse to keep him paired with someone who would always be watching his every move. With what he was trying to hide, it wasn't appreciated.

As quietly as possible, Harry pulled some clothes out of his Hogwarts trunk and swiftly dressed. Turning he couldn't help but sneer as Ron's previously quiet sleep turned into snores that would wake the world. How he had ever managed to sleep with that noise was beyond him.

Without even bothering to wake Ron, he left the room and walked downstairs towards the kitchen musing. He didn't even acknowledge Hermione barging towards their room to wake Ron in a bid to catch up with him. They really weren't attempting to make much of an effort to win his trust back.

He obviously wasn't fast enough getting downstairs as Ron bowled past him at the smell of breakfast. Hermione was following, scowling at him. Ron hadn't heard a word about what she had been speaking about, too focused on food. It was a wonder Ron had a brain at all. They were both now waiting for him at the kitchen door while he stood at the top of the stairs. Honestly it was like they couldn't do anything when he wasn't present.

Suddenly, Tonks opened the front door with a loud crash and promptly tripped over the umbrella stand, landing on the floor in a heap. Everyone cringed as Walburga Black immediately began screaming. Harry, who was the closest, covered his ears at the noise. Why was she screaming obscenities yet again? Last night he swore that she had been civil with him. Perhaps he had dreamed the entire thing like he had with the Dark Lord and Lucius.

Sirius, use to the sound, roared at his mother in anger.

"SHUT UP YOU USELESS HAG! JUST SHUT UP."

Walburga immediately turned her attention towards her son.

"YOU! YOU NO GOOD SON! YOU BLOOD TRAITOR! ABANDOING YOUR FAMILY TO THOSE MUDBLOOD LOVING FOOLS! HOW DARE YOU STEP A FOOT INTO THE SACRED AND MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK!"

Harry was reminded of the first meeting he had ever had with Walburga Black. Both of them repeated the same lines over and over again like a broken record. The painting you could excuse. After all it was just a painting yet Sirius was another thing entirely. Sirius was shouting these things because of the time spent in Azkaban. He still wasn't entirely sane from his thirteen years in that hell-hole well at least that was what Harry believed.

"DON'T JUDGE THESE PEOPLE. THEY ARE MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!"

A sudden glint in Walburga's eye caught Harry's attention. It wasn't every day that Walburga had something to hold over Sirius'. Often it was quite amusing when one said something to mute the other. She was going to utter something that would change everything, he knew it. And it wouldn't be good news for him.

"Lucky for you, your godson will achieve things that you _never_ did. He will become one of the greatest in the Black family since your father joined the Dark Lord. He will fix your mistakes and make up for Regulus' failure. Your godson will return prestige into the Black Family and you… YOU WILL BECOME NOTHING!" Walburga began to laugh hysterically at the end of her unusually calm speech.

Harry was in shock. He couldn't believe that she would say something like that before most of the Order. What would he do if they figured everything out? They wouldn't be very welcoming about the facts that he held secret. First of all, he had kept them secret. Then there was the fact that he practically belonged to the Dark Lord. Any follower of the Dark Lord wasn't exactly welcome in the Order. He had seen what happened to Dark supporters. Harry paled at the thought.

However it appeared that everyone else was in shock as well. Before anyone could say a word, he turned and practically ran to the library, the one safe haven he had left in the house. Only those related to family were allowed in so he couldn't be bothered by many people. The house after all could sense Walburga's approval of him and him alone making him the heir to the house until he came of age. Then he would become Lord Black regardless of the fact that he was a Potter by birth. Black was an older name and that was the title he would inherit as his own. Sirius' who was disinherited like Andromeda would get nothing.

Harry sighed wondering how everything turned out as it did. No one was supposed to know anything. He was supposed to be safe while everything was kept secret. Nothing… no one was allowed to know his secret.

"Relax dear child, they don't know anything."

The voice of Walburga so close to him caused Harry to jump. He hadn't realized that there was a portrait of her in the library.

"Well gee thanks. But that doesn't change the fact that you still practically told everyone that I'm going dark which by the way I'm not! I have no plan to join him when he has done nothing but try to kill me. No he can do without his elemental and I will do without a master." Harry ranted.

Walburga looked down her nose at him.

"Do you honestly believe that your master will never have control of you? He will find you and there will be nothing you can do about it. You will become bound to him whether or not you like it! He is the one person who will understand you without any other influence taking control. You are his and he will care for you unconditionally."

Harry glared at the floor. He hadn't read the books and he didn't plan to where he could get caught by the Order or anyone else however that sounded nice. To be cared for without anything else in mind. He'd always wanted to be just to be someone, anyone. This was perhaps his chance. Why did it have to be the Dark Lord?

"I still want nothing to do with him…" he muttered.

"Nothing to do with whom?"

Harry turned to see Remus and Sirius standing in the doorway. Hoping that Walburga wasn't lying, he smiled shakily.

"I just… why would she say something like that? I wouldn't have anything to do with anyone who supported Voldemort." Harry stopped there as a funny sensation spread through him.

It was like a warning tingle. He was sure he hadn't said anything wrong and yet he had. With no clue as to what it could be he left it at the back of his mind. He would figure it out later. Concentration was needed now if he were to get out of this mess.

"Harry," Remus said calmly, "We know you. You're nothing like that. There wouldn't be any possible way or force to drive you into joining You-Know-Who. You have suffered through some terrible things at the hands of that monster leaving no room for any sympathy he may preach. There is nothing anyone will say otherwise to deceive of us that."

Harry smiled lightly at that. He may not have a choice in the matter in the future of joining the Dark Lord. There would eventually come a time when he would feel the pull towards his other elementals and their master. Sure he could put it off as long as possible but there would be no stopping it once it started.

"Don't worry so much Harry." Sirius barked. "You are strong, brave and true, a complete Gryffindor just like your parents. Nothing will tempt you to the Dark side. Like Moony said, too much has happened in your life, too many hardships, all caused by that bastard for you to ever think about it."

He flinched. Harry couldn't help it and was only too glad that neither of them had in any way noticed it. Regardless of what Sirius said, he wasn't like his parents and he didn't think he ever would be.

"Thanks Padfoot, Moony, deep down I… I know what you say is true but it's just… hard to hear something like that." Harry stuttered, lying through his teeth.

"Relax, when Padfoot first walked through that door and his mother started screaming like that he didn't actually have a comeback for all the things she said either. It'll just take time." Remus reassured him.

Harry smiled. He knew that no matter how much time it wouldn't change a thing. He would always belong to Voldemort whether or not he remained as far from him as possible. Not matter what anyone else said, Walburga was right and he couldn't ignore it anymore. That didn't mean he couldn't hide it though. No one would know his secret… no one except him and a portrait.

"Now why don't we all go downstairs and enjoy Molly's breakfast?"

Remus and Harry shook their heads in exasperation. Honestly it wasn't just Ron with the disgusting table manners. Perhaps instead of cleaning they should have been teaching etiquette.

* * *

**So here is the next chapter. I've made a few changes but other than that everything is all good. I wanted Sirius and Remus to appear as close to the actual book-selves as possible. Hopefully I have acheived that somewhat.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	3. Cryptic Clues

**~ Chapter Three: Cryptic Clues ~**

"Argh!" Harry let out an inarticulate scream within his room as the door shut behind him.

A month, yep, one month, that was how long he had been trapped inside for. He'd believed as always that escaping from the Dursley's for the remainder of the summer was the best idea in the world. He'd thought that once, just once, he would be allowed to spend a normal summer with the Weasley's and his godfather. He'd believed that he would be free to what he pleased surrounded by those that cared for him. Merlin that was so far from the truth it wasn't funny.

The first week he'd spent at Grimmauld Place had made him believe it could only get better. After all he had found the Slytherin Collection which was a good thing but he'd also almost been caught out because of Walburga's mad ramblings. Then he'd found amusement in Kreacher and his 'aid' in cleaning. Well he was excellent at creating messes for people to clean constantly. Not that Harry really blamed the poor elf. If he had unwanted guests in his house he would also be grumpy.

With all of this Harry had believed he had completed his quota of good and bad luck for the holidays. That out of the way, he could finally relax and enjoy himself. He couldn't believe how wrong he had been. His bad luck only seemed to multiply starting with his ever growing ability.

To put it honestly, they were going berserk. He was trapped inside, day in day out, without any way for sunlight to reach him not even through the grimy windows Kreacher refused to clean. Plants needed light to grow and live. From his basic knowledge on elementals, they reacted the same way as their elements. That meant he needed light to live or at least remain healthy. So without his light he became grouchy, sloth-like and just plain unpleasant to be around in general.

He remained as far from the others as possible since even the slightest sound they caused he would complain about. Yet even with his unapproachable mood he still couldn't find one location he could be left in privacy. Nope there was someone in every room. This only caused his frustration and anger to increase making him lash out at practically everyone… even if they had just entered the room.

When cleaning he was about as helpful as Kreacher. No, he didn't make everything worse but he could barely stay awake to lift the silly cleaning products. Eventually, Mrs Weasley had to dismiss him from his duties and tell him to sleep. Of course sharing a room with Ron didn't help in that regard. Harry was a very hygienic person… Ron was not. This only led to more frustration for Harry who didn't have the energy to tidy up after his 'best' friend yet had the energy to shout himself hoarse at the slob.

Merlin, in this state he was completely useless.

Not that he blamed his ability. Alright that was a lie but he had accepted that this was how it was going to be until he discovered a way to keep his affliction hidden more successfully from the Order. Luckily for him, at the moment they believed he was simply going through a typical teenage stage.

However it was still pure torture. He felt like a plant that had been left to grow wildly. He had to make do with the situation and props he was presented with. It was fair to say Harry didn't last long.

After a week in confinement he had attempted to convince the adults to let him outside for an afternoon walk… never happened. Harry asked every adult within the Order why he wasn't allowed outdoors even to the backyard which honestly was about as big as a matchbox but still more welcome then being inside. This only led to impossible answers, some obviously lacking more thought than others.

Sirius had told him that it was simply more fun inside and away from the gruelling summer heat. Everyone could tell he was lying when he came up with that answer. He hated the house he grew up in and being couped up inside it only made Sirius' temper more volatile much like Harry's. So much so that it was often joked that Harry was more Siri's child that James' and probably would have actually been food for thought if he didn't look so much like James to begin with.

Then there was Mrs Weasley who often told him it was far too dangerous to step outside. She explained that the streets were far too unsafe of a place to have teens running around especially muggle streets. They simply weren't the safest places. When Mrs Weasley began attempting to use muggle lingo that she was quite obviously not accustomed to, Harry tuned out completely.

It was ridiculous. She made it sound as if muggles were all dangerous lurking criminals that would harm them any chance they got which wasn't the case. Sure they didn't understand and were far better off ignorant to wizarding kind but it didn't mean they were all dangerous. If anything they were far more volatile with each other.

Harry had spent most of his childhood wandering the streets of Surrey in an attempt to remain as far away from his cousin and his gang as possible. Avoiding 'Harry Hunting' was something that became a game to him as much as the hunting was their own. Yet Harry had never once been followed or approached by anyone in their neighbourhood. More than often everyone believed him to be the delinquent so they would all disappear the moment they caught a glimpse of him. Yep muggles were a real danger.

Not that it mattered. None of what he argued got through the adults firm beliefs. It didn't matter that most muggles wouldn't harm them or glance in their way. It didn't matter if there was protection around the house including the backyard, no one would be allowed out to play or feel the sun's warmth until September first. They were stuck inside and that was that.

Of course with this marvellous display of news, Harry's abilities kicked up another notch. Just like at the Dursley's, the Order's most prized possessions began to disappear all by themselves.

The first person to lose something had been Mrs Weasley not that it terribly shocked Harry. She had been grating heavily on his nerves, always complaining that he was too thin, he needed to eat more or Sirius wasn't a fit guardian. That one in particular was her favourite thing to complain about. So the first item was her charmed knitting needles. Oh darn, no Weasley jumper for Christmas. What a shame. As it was his massive collection of jumper's was stashed somewhere no one would ever care to look… at the Dursley's.

The next item had belonged to Hermione's favourite book, Hogwarts: A History. She tore through everything she owned looking for it and eventually burst into tears. Everyone looked lost as to what to do with her until someone Harry couldn't bother to remember suggested they would buy her a new copy that was more updated. That brightened her day immediately. Harry was just amazed that it remained her favourite book to this day.

Of course their complaining was nothing compared to Ron's when he discovered his beloved Chudely Canon's poster missing. He turned the entire house upside down looking for it much to the displeasure of Mrs Weasley. Kreacher who despised having a blood traitor touch the Black's property, nearly cursed him for it until Sirius stopped him. Harry had been silently cheering for the elf in the background til then.

After three items however, it still didn't appear to be enough to satisfy his ability. More items were taken.

Kingsley lost his favourite purple hat. The one that seemed to match every outfit he wore to Order meetings. Harry cringed every time that hat was in his vicinity. It was as horrendous as Dumbledore's robes.

Fletcher lost his stolen goods which actually was quite ironic given the circumstance. No one was entirely sure whether to be glad about those lost stolen items or not. What if they were illegal and dangerous to the children? Mrs Weasley had complained.

Fred and George lost their money. Harry was really annoyed at this. That had been 1000 Galleons, his Champion money! Not that he'd wanted it at the time but currently he was sorer about having his money handled poorly. Of course his wrath was nothing compared to the remainder of the Weasley family when they discovered that Fred and George had kept money from them that could have bought them numerous things.

On and on the list continued. In the end the only people who hadn't lost something were Remus, Sirius and Harry. With all the items that had been stolen, Harry honestly didn't know where his ability was moving them to. Last time it had been in the park down the road. This time there was no garden area in the surrounding neighbourhood for it. He could only hope the items were being put t good use.

Of course the Order had three suspects then. Each of them was fitted with a tracking charm and monitored for a week. When two more items went missing yet they hadn't been anywhere near the area, they were cleared. Yet his 'best friends' still assumed that it was his doing. These incidents only made Ron and Hermione more suspicious of Harry than they already were.

After the incident with Walburga Black, Ron had taken to staring at Harry as if he were the Dark Lord in person. It was rather irritating at times… like when he was attempting to eat! Hermione simply had a calculating look on her face. That at least he could deal with from afar.

This distance didn't last long. Suspicions melted into jealousy for the Golden Trio. They began to pick at the smallest things he did. Then with Harry's temper, he would give as good as he got. It was a vicious circle of jealousy and something dark that was stirring in their friendship. However this ended once Ron discovered that Harry had been given a private room and Hermione discovered he was able to enter the Black Library but she could not. Ron he could understand, Hermione on the other hand was something new altogether.

That had probably been the end of the great Golden Trio. Yet the continued to remain nearby whether they did this through their ploys to catch him being 'evil' or whether someone had told them to keep up pretences of the Golden Trio, Harry wasn't sure nor did he care. He only wanted them to leave him alone!

It was frustrating to say the least but Harry's saving grace had been his solitary room gifted to him by Sirius. His current solitude…

Harry sighed as he leaned against the door, relaxing as the quiet of the room surrounded him.

Officially it was the heir's room to the Black family. Sirius had moved into the Lord and Lady's room further down the hall and gifted him the room on his birthday which had virtually passed without any notice the day of his arrival. (Neville had sent him another cryptic clue and a book but that was all he received.)

The room was at least double the size of the room he had been sharing with Ron previously. A large king sized bed covered in a Slytherin green and silver quilt was pushed against the wall to the right of the door. The wardrobe was on the other side of the room along with a private bathroom. However what Harry loved the most about this room were the double doors that led out onto a small balcony.

After weeks of being couped indoors, standing upon that small balcony was pure bliss. In his utter joy the vines that were crawling their way along the wall grew swiftly and attached to the railing of the balcony immediately sprouting flowers. This brightened his day immensely. The nature, his nature, was coming to greet him in an attempt to please him whilst in undesirable company. At the beginning he had doubted that this ability would bring him any good but now he was grateful for it.

This was his saving grace. Grabbing a book from his nightstand Harry reclined on his bed. Without anyone to distract him, he'd caught up on quite a bit of reading each night before he slept. Not only did he stick by the subjects he was learning at Hogwarts but other subjects that caught his interest. He was simply embracing his inner Ravenclaw. Hermione should be proud.

During the night, he would spend hours in the comfort of his room learning anything from different potions to deadly uses of a summoning charm. It was rather interesting to realize that even if he only cast 'Light' spells he could still do dark and irreversible damage to his enemy. This would not only allow him to duel equally against Death Eaters but also keep out of Azkaban without a worry. No one had ever bothered to tell him that but he guessed no one really told him anything so why did this small amount of information matter? It wasn't like he would ever use it… idiots.

As well as this, Harry spent time reading further about his ability.

The first volume of the Elemental set, Elementals: An Introduction, instructed that he would have to read the books one at a time and then he would be able to harness and control his abilities better. Each element was connected to the other so to fully understand he would need to learn it all. He had groaned at that and cursed his rotten luck. Each was as large as an encyclopaedia and as thick as three dictionaries combined. It would take him six months to read that much possibly more and that was without the distraction of school or killer Dark Lords.

It also didn't help that the only reassurance that Salazar Slytherin had during his time was that there were no other Parselmouths alive. Therefore no one other than himself could speak the spell bringing them to life, controlling them. This meant that Voldemort could easily do a number of things that the book said if he had a similar copy of the book. So far however all he had discovered was general information on the elementals. It told of their creation from spirits but didn't mention the spell that summoned them to their realm. Salazar made sure that spell had to be spoken in pure parseltongue and not a copy.

The Slytherin Collection, simply put, was numerous control manuals for the masters of elementals.

This secret made Harry wear the charms everywhere he went in a desperate hope that he didn't lose them only for a Slytherin to find. If Voldemort discovered these books when he didn't have them it would make his job a lot more difficult to hide from his 'master'. At that thought he shuddered.

There was no way Voldemort was going to ever find him. Harry had enough trouble controlling his own life without having a master to do it for him. No his secret would be his and his alone until he found a better way of hiding the truth. Dear Merlin, his life was screwed up. When could he ever be normal? Harry sighed, dropping the book on his head with a loud thump and a muffled curse.

So with a week to go before returning to Hogwarts Harry was a little worse for wear.

x-x-x-x-x

Air, earth beneath his feet… was that sun light upon his face? It felt so long since he had felt this alive and everyone around him easily noticed. Harry nearly glowed in joy at simply being outside. His joy was mirrored by the dog at his side that was yapping and barking around his feet and generally making a fool of himself.

Muggles were giving him amused looks while his 'guard' glared at anyone who got too close to him. Harry had a feeling that most believed him to be a high end person or celebrity that hadn't been let out in a long time. This only seemed to be further justified with the oddness of said guards.

The Weasley brood was the most vocal. Mrs Weasley was arguing with most of her children and Hermione.

"Why can't I have knew robes?"

"There just isn't enough money."

"I should get a new broom given my new position."

"I'll think about it when you're Head Boy."

"Could we have some money to-"

"No."

"Where is my updated version of Hogwarts: A Histroy?"

"It was with your luggage, dear."

Back and forth, back and forth, it was beginning to drive Harry batty.

However then there was also Kingsley and Mad Eye. They gained unwanted attention just by standing. Mad Eye would have his magical eye follow anyone suspicious which to him meant as many muggles as possible. Kingsley however was wearing completely purple and stood out like a circus performer. Then to top it all off Tonks kept bumping into things that didn't even appear to be there. Yep his guard was excellent at keeping a low profile. No wonder their numbers had halved since the first Order had begun.

"Harry dear, if we don't get moving you'll miss the train." Mrs Weasley said primly, obviously finishing the numerous arguments.

Harry sighed, walking through the barrier onto Platofrm 9 ¾ with Snuffles by his side. The sooner he left these idiots on the train the sooner his head would cease pounding.

Of course Sirius was nearly as bad as the others present. He attracted attention just by acting like the dog he currently was. Harry had attempted to get Sirius to remain at headquarters but that hadn't worked so well. In the end 'Snuffles' or Padfoot was set on accompanying him to the train regardless of the dangers it presented to himself as long as Harry was guarded. Since he was the child in the situation, Harry simply allowed it. Once Sirius had made up his mind there was no changing it.

Looking around the platform, he watched as people bustled to get their children on the train even though there was still a good fifteen minutes before the train left. Everything appeared normal to the ordinary eye yet he knew it was changing. He wasn't allowed to travel to Diagon Alley even with an escort. People tailed him when he stepped a foot from Grimmauld Place by both Light and Dark forces… at least according to Dumbledore. Nothing was normal and Harry was tired of it.

Snuffles nuzzled him so that he moved away from the entry. Harry guessed that it wouldn't do for someone to run into him.

Kingsley appeared next and Harry was carefully steered towards the end of the train where he would spend the entire journey. Yet again he was being kept in one place for his own good. Harry didn't mind though since he was returning to the place he called home. Hogwarts was his home. Never had he once thought about the Dursley's house as his home and he still didn't believe that it was. The visions and nightmares he had in their house just helped to add to that though he hadn't actually had either one in weeks.

Even though Sirius lived at Grimmauld he couldn't call that place home either. It was dark and dank and barely liveable. Mrs Weasleys continuous cleaning couldn't even save it. The work had to be done by a house elf and the only house elf present was Kreacher who only listened to Harry after Walburga had let slip what he was to the poor creature. Now he willingly did everything Harry said ignoring everyone else entirely even Sirius the current Lord of the house. Sirius only thought it funny and didn't bother to tell him that it didn't bother him at all though Harry had caught him snickering in a corner after one of the weirder moments.

He wasn't complaining about the situation any more. It had been quite amusing to order the house elf to move the possessions of the Order members around the rooms as if they were nothing. The Order couldn't figure out who was doing it so no one could blame him. Any attempts to get Kreacher to locate them also failed since Kreacher only listened to Harry and he had specifically told the house elf that Kreacher didn't have to listen to the Order. Besides now he had three house elves in his service. That was better than nothing at all. He wasn't positive they would get along well but they would have to if they desired to remain in his service.

"Potter relax nothing will happen on this journey. The Order will make more than sure of that." Moody barked.

Harry cringed. He had been standing tense but not because he was worried about Voldemort. No he was more concerned with a certain blond haired Slytherin aboard the train. Draco would be searching for the remaining elementals that were possibly at Hogwarts. If he could find them then it would be easy to con them into meeting their 'master'. Harry didn't want to be stuck in that situation.

Instead of answering, he simply boarded the train and entered the compartment saved for him. There he would remain for the entire journey with or without his friends. Harry was still upset with Ron and Hermione about the letter issue and it had caused a rift between the once Golden Trio. However now there was more to add to the situation.

Hermione was still miffed that he had been permitted to enter the Black Library and she hadn't. She had even gone so far as to ask Walburga for entry who only shouted insults at her for half an hour and caused Hermione to burst into tears. Ron of course was jealous over his new, larger heir's room. Along with both of them being chosen as Prefects this year (which many of the Order couldn't understand) their friendship was on very rocky ground.

Harry could only hope that Neville considered themselves more than just dorm mates otherwise he would be stuck with two people he really didn't want to spend the entire journey with. Over the years they had spoken briefly and he'd come to realize the only time the poor boy stuttered was when Ron and Hermione were around him. It was almost like he was hiding from them for some reason. Hopefully Neville would spend more time with him this year that way at least he could enjoy some of his time.

x-x-x-x-x

As he had hoped Neville joined him five minutes before they left the station. Ron and Hermione, as prefects, were expected to sit up the front with the other prefects so they wouldn't be bothered by them for a while. With them gone, Neville didn't stutter his way through a sentence. So they spent their time talking about their summer over a game of chess.

An hour into the journey their compartment opened to reveal Ginny with another girl. She was blonde and appeared to be lost in thought or her own dreams. Ginny moved in without a word and chose to sit next to Neville while the girl sat down beside Harry. Neville and Harry were sitting opposite each other playing chess still (Harry wasn't as bad when playing against Neville).

"Harry, Neville, this is Luna Lovegood from Ravenclaw. She's in my year. You don't mind if she joins us right?" Ginny asked as if they didn't have a choice which in compared with her temper they really didn't.

Harry and Neville both welcomed them warmly before returning to their game. It really didn't bother them however Harry wasn't really speaking to any of the Weasley's at the moment so he was slightly baffled at Ginny's sudden entrance. Not that it really mattered they weren't really speaking to him either so they just continued to ignore each other.

Just as Harry made another move against Neville, Luna spoke.

"The hawk is hunting, Harry."

Luna's voice broke the silence in the compartment. Harry looked up from the chess board to Luna who was now reading her magazine, the Quibbler, upside down. She had been so silent up until now that he had almost forgotten that she was even present. The cryptic sentence didn't make any sense to him but Luna made it sound as if it should. Her words were very confusing. What should he say in this kind of situation? Finally he settled on,

"That's good to know Luna."

"The snake should be wary and listen to the fish lest it be eaten by the hawk. The scorpion remains away from all matters." She continued airily in warning.

Everyone looked up at Luna after those sentences with confusion written clearly on their faces. Did this girl string together one sentence that actually made sense to anyone but her? Since it wasn't likely that she would offer and explanation they didn't bother asking. It would probably only lead to more confusing sentences which wouldn't help them with the original one.

"Don't worry about her, she's always speaking in riddles. No one can really understand what she's saying." Ginny whispered though this didn't really help convince Harry of the thought.

Harry simply nodded his head in agreement and fixed his thoughts on the chess piece he had just lost to Neville in the confusion. He really needed to focus if he wanted to win!

Eventually Neville came away the victor since Harry hadn't been paying that much attention. It was difficult to pay attention when the train kept moving, pieces continued to shout advice and Ginny talked constantly but it was kind of relieving in a bizarre way. Luna was still captivated by her magazine.

They had just begun a game of Exploding Snap when the door opened revealing the two people no one really wanted to see. As usual Ron was complaining about his stomach and Hermione was simply ignoring him in an attempt to appear more mature than she truly was after all 'She was a Prefect and needed to uphold the rules.' This frustrated the three already in the compartment. Luna seemed immune to everything around her which was marvelled by the three.

"The Slytherins are acting weird." Ron said after they were seated.

No one had anything to say to this, even Hermione. Slytherins always acted weird. How were they to know when it actually meant something?

"No seriously," he continued as if they had been listening, "Malfoy was boasting about getting some sort of tattoo while the others simply nodded along with stars in their eyes. I guess it was meant to be a huge thing in the snake den or something. What's so good about a tattoo anyway?"

Harry tensed but it was only noticed by Luna which made him curious but in light of his current problem was pushed to the back of his mind. He hadn't thought about the marking since he had boarded the train and started talking to Neville. Those few hours had been bliss. Now he could feel the fear and tension returning to his muscles. Silently, he cursed Ron for ever opening his mouth.

After forcing himself to relax and return to the game he, like everyone else, continued to ignore Hermione and Ron. Unfortunately, they had accepted that Harry was ignoring them though and continued to talk as if he were listening. Harry felt as if he could curse them into next week with the amount of annoyance they were creating in the compartment. Finally Hermione stood.

"We have to go for rounds now so we shall see you in another hour or so." Hermione explained suddenly dragging an unwillingly Ron out. (The food cart hadn't passed them yet apparently.)

The door shut with a snick. Letting out a sigh of relief as they both left, they continued playing while Luna read.

Half an hour after Ron and Hermione left, they were joined in their compartment by Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati. That meant that their compartment was full and Ron and Hermione would have to find another compartment for the remainder of the trip. Harry felt a genuine smile grace his face which seemed to have an effect on the entire compartment. Everyone seemed to brighten and decided to join their game creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.

When Ron and Hermione returned, they were still laughing and enjoying the presence of people they hardly ever spoke with.

"When did everyone suddenly join this carriage?" Ron asked as he opened the door.

No one payed them much attention their focus was on their game of Exploding Snap which Lavender was winning for some reason that not one of them could explain. She wasn't the smartest witch in their year and yet she managed to win at these games. It baffled them but made the game more enjoyable. Harry stole a fleeting glance at the pair to notice they were beginning to get really annoyed at being annoyed. Obviously having been Harry's friends for such a long time and then gaining Prefect had gone to their heads slightly if they thought everyone would bow down to them.

"Well you can all leave now since we were here first. We always sit with Harry." Hermione said annoyed that everyone was ignoring them.

Seamus frowned, turning to them as the game was one yet again by Lavender and the cards exploded. "So what? We're sitting here now go find another compartment."

"You have no right to demand that we leave. There was room here and our friends are here. Why wouldn't we stay?" Dean stated while he began another round of Exploding Snap hoping this round someone other than Lavender would win.

"Harry you can't actually believe that they are better friends than us? We've been through everything together." Ron shouted.

'Honestly what does being better friends have to do with seating arrangements?' Harry thought trying desperately not to release his anger. If he did there was no telling what could happen.

"Honestly Harry tell them to leave so we can sit down! We're always together and they have no right to interfere with that." Hermione huffed in annoyance.

That was the last straw. As if he was going to tell someone what to do! How dare they even complain about this! They didn't have any right in what or who he was around. If he wanted a break from them he would have it! Everyone stopped and stared outright at Harry who looked murderous.

"No I won't tell them to leave and you have no right to demand it from them or me. Not only am I allowed to have friends outside of our 'comfortable' trio I'm allowed to spend time with them without you! Since this compartment is obviously full I believe it is you who aren't seated that should find somewhere else to sit for the remainder of the journey, don't you?"

Harry could feel everything begin to shake due to his rage though it wasn't noticed as much since they were on a train which was constantly in motion though he was certain that Draco would be able to tell as Luna had. Draco would know that at least one of the elementals was at Hogwarts. He would just have to be cautious as to how he went about keeping his emotions in check whilst there.

Hermione glared at Harry though she left in a huff followed reluctantly by Ron who still believed that Harry would say that he was joking and throw some people out to make room for them. They were idiots who had ruined their own friendship with him not that other way around. If they wanted him to begin to start to be friendly with them again they would have to apologize for everything that they had done over the summer holidays. If not then he had others he could rely on.

After that incident the rest of the train ride into Hogsmeade thankfully went smoothly.

x-x-x-x-x

In the Great Hall, Harry had managed to surround himself with people from the train. Neville sat to his left while Seamus was to his right with Dean on his other side. Lavender, Parvati and Ginny were sitting opposite them. Then they were surrounded by other year levels which put spare seats at an even greater distance. Ron and Hermione had no choice but to sit half way down the table and far from him. This actually pleased the entire table since they had enough of the pair of them though for what Harry was still unsure maybe he would find out later tonight.

Harry scanned the Staff table as he was curious to discover what had changed. Most of the staff was still present much to Harry's relief. He didn't want to have too many new teachers. That would just make him worry about which side they were on and whether he could trust them. Currently though he really couldn't completely trust any of them. Then he saw someone who sent his blood ice cold.

"What is Malfoy doing here?" Harry's voice was almost a whisper.

"What do you mean Harry? Malfoy is a student." Neville whispered back.

"No I mean _Lucius Malfoy_, what is he doing here especially at the staff table?" Most of Gryffindor looked up at the staff table at that sentence. Everyone locked their eyes on the blond sitting beside their bat of a potions master.

Ginny paled at that name. She still didn't like to mention anything about her first year at Hogwarts or anyone to do with it unless it was just Harry. Neville also paled when he remembered that Malfoy was one of the many Ministry workers that served Voldemort. This could be a disaster. With Lucius here they had yet another Voldemort supporter to remain away from.

Harry's house actually believed that Voldemort had returned since he had always been honest with them. Even though Dumbledore had told him not to discuss what had occurred during the years he had which caused Gryffindor to strengthen their loyalties towards him. Actually it had first started as something one of the Prefects from his first year did but it had continued every year without fail. A Prefect had been worried about what his mental health was like after his battle with the Troll since no one else had spoken with him. It only progressed from there. In the end Gryffindor became more of a family house.

So when it came to the change in teaching staff, the Gryffindor table didn't like it one bit knowing that Lucius was the one who planted the diary on Ginny in the first place and couldn't help but remain quiet for the first time in Hogwarts history. Their calmness unnerved the rest of the students especially the teachers who knew them. Many wondered what had occurred to change this dynamic and guessed that it also had something to do with Harry not sitting with Hermione and Ron. Dumbledore stood however before anyone could ask what was happening.

"Welcome back for another year at Hogwarts, my students. As every year there is a list of banned objects that is in every common room and is constantly being updated by our very own Argus Filch. The Forbidden Forest is also off limits. Now students, allow me to introduce Professor Lucius Malfoy who will be taking the mantle of Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. He was appointed by the Ministry and the Board of Governors to check that the courses are up to date with Ministry policy. I'm sure you will have no trouble proving this to be accurate with your scores."

Dumbledore had that annoying twinkle in his eye yet again as he led the student body in a round of applause for the newest addition to the staff table. The only Gryffindor's to applaud him were Ron and Hermione however which immediately gave the staff the answer they had been looking for. The Gryffindor's weren't siding with the headmaster any longer. Their loyalty was towards their house mate, Harry Potter. This confused the Slytherins, sent the Hufflepuffs into talk about loyalty to people and made the Ravenclaws begin to study them. Ron and Hermione though looked disapproving as did Dumbledore.

It was obvious to the entire hall that a change in the hierarchy had been made at Hogwarts and Dumbledore was no longer at the top. In the eyes of the Gryffindors the headmaster was someone not to be trusted and they had rallied behind the next best option, the more suitable option, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. It was the obvious choice and yet not something anyone expected from the house of the brave at heart.

This change must have cause Dumbledore to become curious yet Harry knew that even if he had looked at Dumbledore he wouldn't get a returning gaze. He wasn't sure why Dumbledore refused to look at him though and it was beginning to get to him. When Dumbledore had been at Grimmauld Place he hadn't even bothered to talk to him though Harry did try to gain his attention. Had he done something wrong? He wasn't sure but he'd had enough of Dumbledore and his subtle manipulations. Manipulations such as giving Ron and Hermione the Prefect badges. Then he thought back to the train ride…

"_The hawk is hunting, Harry."_

Harry could have groaned if the hall wasn't deadly silent listening to the remainder of Dumbledore's opening speech. Luna had meant Malfoy when she had spoken on the train. But then now that he thought about it, it was kind of obvious. The hawk was Draco which also symbolized his element the Air. Malfoy Senior wasn't included because he wasn't an elemental and wasn't meant to be the one searching for him. Maybe Luna made more sense than other people thought possible. But did that mean that she was involved as well?

Harry almost hit his head in despair on the table. This year was definitely not going to be an easy year.

* * *

**This chapter was altered quite a bit. Hopefully that will throw people off believing that they know what is going to happen in future chapters since they have already read my first version of this story. I hope to keep you all surprised. **

**~MidnightEmber**


	4. Trio's End

**~ Chapter Four: Trio's End ~**

A fortnight after the opening feast, Harry woke to Ron's snoring. It wasn't a very pleasant way to wake at five in the morning but that was what the fifth year Gryffindor's had to put up with on occasions. If Harry had it his way, Ron would be sleeping in the Common Room for the rest of their schooling life. Unfortunately that wasn't permitted by their Head of House.

Over the past fourteen days he had been somewhat peaceful. No, the more accurate term was normal. Ron and Hermione hadn't been around as much as they had been the past four years. To say Harry was annoyed and hurt that they were no longer hovering over him was a complete lie. It seemed life without the Golden Trio was heaven in his eyes and he couldn't have been more grateful for abandoning him to do whatever they were needed for as Prefects.

With them no longer around, Harry was able to do many things he hadn't over the past four years. He was allowed to converse with people in his year as well as other people from different houses. There were no limitations to what he was permitted to do. He was just a normal albeit popular school kid speaking to those that he wanted to. His life was normal and that was all that he had ever desired. He was Harry… just Harry.

Along with this new found peace, he had also stayed away from Draco's Elemental search. At odd occasions Harry had seen Draco secretly questioning other Slytherin's. Yet it didn't look like his search was turning out too promising. He had yet to locate anyone beyond himself and his frustration was beginning to show. Lucius had often to tell Draco that his behaviour was unfit for the Heir of the Malfoy family when they believed everyone was out of earshot. Harry merely thought it lucky.

He knew that both Luna and he were on the chopping block. It was only a matter of time before one of them accidently slipped and revealed themselves to the young Malfoy. They could only hope that Luna's cryptic speaking would keep them safe for far longer than anything else that could hide them.

Of course all of the thoughts about Elementals led him to wonder about the scorpion, as Luna often referred to them. This one was a complete mystery to him. Even Luna couldn't give him an identity only facts saying that he was safe and in good health. In truth it didn't help at all. However that wasn't the point. He didn't want to be locating these other Elementals. He desired to hide from them. Luna was just the exception.

A particularly loud snore jerked him from his thoughts.

Glaring blearily at the red head, Harry looked around the dorm and realized that the rest of his dorm mates were doing the same. He sighed. How was it even possible to sleep with him snoring? A thunderstorm would have been quieter than Ron's snoring and he still had two years left of it. It was positively infuriating.

Dragging himself upright, he decided that it would be a waste of time attempting to return to sleep. At least if he had an early breakfast then he might be able to do something useful afterwards. That and he wouldn't be late for whatever he had first today. Opening his curtains, he spoke in a normal voice. No point to even try to be quiet, nothing would wake Ron when he was sleeping this heavily.

"Guys let's just go down to breakfast. It won't be possible to go back to sleep with that noise and I don't feel like waking him up. He can be late if he wants to wake everyone else up."

He then walked towards the bathroom to have a somewhat relaxing shower before the day began. Normally he would wait to have one later but he needed one now if he were to survive the day. Becoming an Elemental of Earth, Harry had discovered that having a bath or a shower were great ways to relax. He had a thought that it was to do with plants constantly needing water to live. Harry was just the same.

As he left, already dressed for the day, he noticed that his dorm mates were attempting to get out of bed and told them that he would wait for them in the Common Room to escape Ron before leaving the three other boys to dress.

Seamus, Dean and Neville heartily (well as heartily as one can get in the morning) nodded and moved to dress for the day. It was obvious to them that something was bothering Harry. He only ever had a morning shower when he was particularly upset or worried. All three knew that Harry would speak to them when he was ready and until then he would just do occasionally odd things.

The important part though was he would turn to them for release. He would open up to _them_.

The other houses could see the change in hierarchy within the Gryffindor House. It was hard to miss when they blatantly dismissed the Headmaster at the opening feast. However the other main change that everyone noticed was the fracturing relationship between the Golden Trio. The past fourteen days had been very trying as the other houses desired answers that the Gryffindor's would not come forth with.

The truth, that not many would ever discover, was all the damage in the Golden Trio had slowly been building over the years and it was nearing the end. Soon it would tumble out of control and there was nothing anyone could do about it not even the great Albus Dumbledore. Many of the Gryffindor's predicted that by the end of the year or even as soon as Yule, the Golden Trio would be no more.

However the Gryffindor's could care less. They had noticed early that communication between the three students was warped. The youngest Weasley male and Granger appeared to lead Harry around. It appeared as if Ron and Hermione were simply soaking up Harry's fame and gaining attention from it. The pair only desired to be in the limelight. All they desired was to further their chances to excel their future careers, nothing more. The remainder of Gryffindor couldn't have been more disgusted with their actions towards Harry and vowed that if he ever wanted a way out they would be there to help him.

As the years began to wear on their relationship only appeared to get stronger.

In fourth year it finally occurred. Ron's true colours emerged and he abandoned Harry during the Triwizard Tournament with Hermione following him. Everyone could see that this affected Harry far more than he let on. Of course after a little encouragement Harry slowly began to speak and communicate with the other Gryffindor's in his year. Seamus, Dean, Neville, Lavender and Parvati welcomed his company with open arms. They would show Harry what true friends were like instead of acting like Ron and Hermione.

Eventually Harry became more outspoken and voiced his opinion of the Triwizard Tournament. That was soon followed by the events of the past three years that none had known about. Quirrel being a host for Voldemort's possession… He's defeat the same year as he attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone… The Chamber of Serest followed that disturbing tale and mentions of an Acromantula named Aragog and a Basilisk within the school… Then the biggest news of all, the innocence of Sirius Black…

They knew that Harry had left quite few details out but that was to be expected. Who would want to relive these experiences? However they were still shocked at what they had discovered. None of the loyal and courageous lions could believe that Dumbledore allowed so many horrible things to happen within the school. Let alone that he appeared to encourage Harry to handle them on his own.

As Harry told these tales, the older Gryffindors couldn't help but believe that their Headmaster wasn't as helpful or protective of his students as he should have been. He was always away when the life threatening moments took place and turned up at the right moment to save the day or offer advice. Their Headmaster wasn't protecting Harry. He wasn't keeping him away from danger. If anything he was creating the situations himself as a test and stepped in to control when things went south. With this knowledge, the seventh years decided to enact a tradition to speak to every first year when they arrived. Gryffindor's were to support only Gryffindor's. Albus Dumbledore was merely the Headmaster of their school and had only authority during school hours nothing more.

As fourth year continued for Harry, everyone began to aid him with the Triwizard Tournament. With the bonding of the Gryffindor House, the support for their Saviour grew so much that Harry barely felt the loneliness from Ron and Hermione's abandonment. It was a good feeling for the house of the courageous to see Harry act his age.

Of course after the first task, he accepted the apology of Ron and Hermione but their friendship couldn't be compared to that of what he now had with the remainder of Gryffindor. Without even realizing it, his time was spent more with Neville, Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati. Much to the frustration of Ron and Hermione, they only appeared in the background. Their abandonment had lost them their "standing" with Harry Potter.

The Yule Ball went smoothly when Parvati and Lavender began helping him with dancing. The Gryffindor's watched endlessly as he embarrassed himself time and again until he got it correct. Of course his dancing didn't top Ron's embarrassment as he asked last minute who Harry was taking. It appeared as if Ron forgot to ask someone and now was demanding Harry to get him a date. Harry had looked at Ron as if he had two heads and calmly stated that he was taking Parvati and left it at that. That hadn't gone too well.

The Golden Trio was shattering before their eyes and they couldn't have been more pleased.

After the third task the Gryffindor's gathered in the Common Room as Harry told them everything that had occurred in the graveyard. Knowing everything Harry had been through previously they didn't discredit him. They all knew him well enough to know that he hated the spotlight and couldn't stand crowds. Why would he create such a horrific lie if he desired to remain away from the fame? This revelation just tightened their friendship and drove Ron and Hermione further apart from Harry when they explained that it was impossible for "You-Know-Who" to return.

The top point of that year was Ron's jealousy of Harry's new found title and money. It not only caused Harry to ignore Ron further but also Hermione who suggested he split it between them. That was the last they had heard anything from the Golden Trio until now.

It was obvious to the fifth year boys that the Golden Trio had their turning point during the summer and it had ended their relationship if not shattered it completely. No one had a clue as to what Ron and Hermione had done to get this reaction from Harry but it must have been quite a doozy. Together they agreed that they would protect Harry from any more pain. He was the Wizarding world's saviour and in turn they would be the Harry's saviour.

Harry of course had no idea what was going through their sleep depraved minds as the three boys walked into the Common Room. He was simply happy to be far away from Ron at the moment.

"So are you ready to go?" he asked them, turning away from the lit fire in the hearth.

The three nodded happily. Sure it wasn't great that they had been woken early but that just meant more time to relax and eat before their first lesson. Then they wouldn't also have to put up with Ron's whining and Hermione's badgering.

At six in the morning, the Great Hall was actually at its busiest with many of the other houses already awake and enjoying their meals in quiet. Their house of course was the last to arise during the week and was normally never seen before ten on the weekend. They had an in school reputation to keep after all for being the house that slept in even if it meant many of the students wandered the hallways before having breakfast.

"Thank heavens we don't have potions today!" Seamus moaned loudly collapsing in a seat.

Snape glared at them from the staff table the outburst while many of the surrounding students snickered around them. They were going to pay for that one the first chance Snape got… which would be on Wednesday. They group would just have to make up more points to counter the loss before then. It would be difficult though since they weren't that academically inclined. They were average students at best and Potions was usually the one they did worst in. Only the students did particularly phenomenal in Potions since they were favoured above all others. Even Ravenclaw's didn't stand a chance. As their Head of House, Snape was a little biased.

Harry would have actually enjoyed potions if Snape wasn't always such a prick during the lessons. During Primary School he had enjoyed Chemistry so he had believed when reading his first year book that Potions would be the same… if only they had a different teacher. Unfortunately that would never happen unless something dire happened to the sour man. Well he couldn't always be optimistic.

"Yeah," Neville continued. "But we do have DADA after lunch."

The group sighed. DADA was normally their favourite class. This year however they were beginning to dread it. A Death Eater couldn't teach Defence Against the Dark Arts when they were actually practicing it. The entire point of the class was to defend you from the Dark Arts not go into detail on how numerous listed Dark Curses would not be blocked by a simple protego.

Honestly what was Dumbledore thinking when he agreed to Lucius Malfoy as Defence teacher? Or maybe the old coot hadn't been thinking at all. He was going senile in his old age what with all those tasks Harry had to complete over the years… and then there was the lemon drops. Need they say more?

Before they could continue talking, the Great Halls opened loudly to reveal a dishevelled Ron and Hermione. The pair looked as if they had tumbled through a netting of cobwebs, dust and insects which was highly likely considering the twins who were snickering behind their pumpkin juice. Where those two got the idea for that, Harry would never know.

"Harry mate, why didn't you wake me up?" Ron complained as he sat down nearby.

Unfortunately, their table was half empty, leaving plenty of seats around them to sit. Harry could have groaned when Hermione sat down next to Ron. Did they have to ruin everything? In the future, he was going to have to coordinate seating arrangements better so they didn't gain chances to be near him like this. It was turning into pure torture on his part especially if he had to listen to their constant nagging or badgering.

It had been two weeks since the beginning to school and Harry had yet to speak to either of them. Between them disappearing to do whatever Dumbledore had them doing or for their Prefects duty, he hadn't really seen much of them. Of course he had spent the entire time around Neville, Seamus and Dean. Lavender and Parvati occasionally joined them when they weren't gossiping. With the large group together, Harry felt relaxed and more concentrated on his school work. He felt normal.

To be frank, it was the best thing ever!

He hadn't had to hear anything from them since the end of last year since he spent all holidays ignoring them as well and man was he grateful for the space. Harry wanted nothing more than for this space to continue because he didn't want to be anywhere near them. As he grew and spent more time with them, he'd eventually begun to realize they were very irritating. To him they appeared to be faking everything and it was just plain annoying. So much so that he couldn't stand their company for any length of time.

His current friends though, truly meant a lot to him. Not only did they believe in him, they gave him space when he needed it. He knew that if he had accepted Draco in his first year that this would have been what a true friend acted like. Since he was enjoying breakfast too much, he allowed the remainder of his friends to answer for him. They were after all affected by Ron as well.

"You were dead to the world, Ron. There was no way anyone could have woken you up and since your snoring woke us up we didn't feel like it." Dean scowled.

Harry, Neville and Seamus nodded their heads in agreement causing Ron to blush furiously. But honestly who cares? That was not a pleasant wakeup call so he was only receiving his just deserts. Surely he could handle a small amount of public embarrassment.

"I think Harry can answer his own questions." Hermione scolded lightly.

The Gryffindor's present all turned to look disbelieving at her. Did she honestly think that she was allowed to scold someone for that reason alone? She wasn't his mother or his professor so she held no authority over anyone. Yet she had always been this way. Not only was it terribly rude but she often used it to undermine other authority figures within their House. Now that she was a Prefect it only appeared to have gotten worse.

"Yes but Harry is eating and it's terribly impolite to speak with your mouth full." Lavender pointed out.

"It also wouldn't hurt to teach these manners to someone else your use to scolding." Parvati said with a pointed look towards Ron.

Ron was, as always, oblivious to the dig at his disgusting habits. Hermione however was not. She blushed and elbowed Ron as he continued to shovel food into his mouth. The elbow didn't really deter him that much and only cause those surrounding them to cringe away in disgust.

Of course this only deterred Hermione for a second before she noticed something invaluable about them.

"Why are you all together? Normally you all choose to sit away from each other?" she questioned.

"What do you mean?" Seamus asked. The others nodding in agreement, couldn't help the smirks that threatened theirs faces.

Oh, they knew what she meant but they couldn't fathom that Hermione, the bookworm of Gryffindor, had missed something so vital for such a long time. Perhaps she wasn't as smart as she truly made herself out to be?

"Well usually Seamus, Dean and Neville group together as does Lavender and Parvati. That leaves Harry with us, see?"

Harry scowled at that. It sounded as if she were pointing out that he belonged to them and no one else. He wasn't a possession! He wasn't some sort of pet either that would grant them fame and fortune at the drop of a hat. Where they so concerned over their fame that they couldn't see anything else?

"Actually they've been sitting as a group at all meals since the beginning of last year." Colin piped up from further down the table.

It appeared that everyone in Gryffindor had turned to their conversation and wanted their input to be heard as well. Luckily they knew when to talk and when to listen otherwise many people would have been speaking over each other.

To Colin's answer, Hermione actually appeared flustered. She truly must not have noticed that they had been excluding the pair of them for so long. Harry could only shake his head wanly. Ron who had finally turned away from his food to listen was an ugly shade of puce almost as if he was holding his breath as well as blushing. It wasn't a very pretty sight.

"What's your problem mate? We've already apologized!"

Obviously Ron had enough of Harry "ignoring" them and snapped. His spittle was flying everywhere causing many students to duck away from the raging red head.

Harry just calmly finished chewing and swallowed before answering. There was no way he would degrade himself to be like Ron who was talking with his mouth full of food as per usual. That would get him nowhere and make him look like a fool. When truly it was Ron who was going to look like a fool after Harry was finished with him. Then everyone would know the Golden Trio was no more.

"What do you mean Ron? I'm not ignoring you."

"Yes you are! You're always sitting with those losers. It's like you don't want to be a part of the Golden Trio anymore. We're famous Harry! You can't just abandon that for a group of losers! We apologized for ignoring you over the summer and not sending any letters but come on mate, seriously?" Ron shouted, drawing attention from the other Houses and the staff table.

They all looked positively sickened that Ron Weasley would shout that in the middle of the Great Hall where anyone could hear. Dumbledore wasn't very happy either. He looked as if the lemon drop he was sucking was an entire lemon. The only one who looked positively gleeful was Snape and that wasn't saying much. Any Gryffindor drama he enjoyed.

"I know that Ron and I accepted it… the first time. When you first abandoned me because of jealousy I thought you'd learn from you mistake but this is the fourth time you've become angry at me for having something you desperately desire. Every time following the Triwizard Tournament you've only gotten more ridiculous and for the smallest reason. This time, your jealousy has stemmed from the time I've been spending with people other than you. When will it stop?" Harry asked calmly.

There truly wasn't any need to shout when Ron was broadcasting everything. He truly was an idiot.

"I'm not jealous of them." Ron spat. "You should be spending time with those who truly count you as a friend. Not some people that are only after your fame Harry."

The numerous gasps around the hall would have been quite humorous if Harry hadn't been seething. How dare that bigheaded idiot say that the people he surrounded himself with were unfaithful, when the people unfaithful and disloyal were before him, spouting lies. A large crack ran the length of the hall causing several of the Ravenclaw's to jump away from their table.

Damn Ron, Harry thought, it was his entire fault his element had reacted to his anger. He'd been attempting to remain calm and inconspicuous so he didn't attract any attention from Malfoy.

"A friend, Ron, a true friend wouldn't be acting as you are." Harry said glaring. "If you were a real friend you would have stayed by my side even during the times you abandoned me. You would have listened to what I had to say before making a decision based on jealousy. Instead you went ahead and listened to everyone else as they spit on my name. You were safe from the scrutiny but I wasn't."

By this time Ron had paled beyond belief. Hermione wasn't doing much better. Everyone around them was staring in incredulity over the actions of the pair. They couldn't believe that Ron and Hermione would remain by Harry's side only to keep abandoning him whenever his fame turned poor. It was very low.

"I told you that I didn't want to participate in the tournament long before my name was drawn out. I told you that I didn't want the money. I didn't need it or the fame. I have plenty of money and fame as it is. Because of this, I gave the money to people that I trust to do the right thing with it. But you… you don't trust me. You don't contact me all summer and you expect that one simple apology is going to cover it all? Are you really that deluded?" Harry continued.

It was obvious to all those who were witnessing the big break, that Harry had been testing the pair's loyalty to him or towards his fame. Obviously Ron and Hermione had failed Harry's test and now they wouldn't have his fame or his friendship.

"Harry, you know why we couldn't-" Hermione started, as to recover her lost reputation.

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!" Harry's voice echoed around the silent hall. "There were ways around the wards as proven by my other friends, the only people, it seems, I can count on. After everything you have done did you expect us to return to normal? It's not going to happen. I'm not going to live my life through you anymore. My thoughts and secrets are going to be my own as they should be."

"Harry! You don't tell us nearly enough to tell the Headmaster anyway so why are you complaining about your secrets?" Ron shouted.

Harry smirked. At least Ron would always be an idiot and reveal everything that he attempted to keep secret. Gee, it was a wonder that the Grimmauld Place was still under Fidelius what with his mouth.

"At least now I know that if I did tell you anything important it would go straight to Dumbledore. The simple truth is, I can't trust you. I can't trust you to listen when I need to vent. I can't trust you to keep quiet when I need you to and I certainly can't trust you to keep any secrets I tell you."

Many of the students had taken to looking at the Headmaster in horror. How could the great Albus Dumbledore ever think about keeping tabs on their saviour? It wasn't as if he needed to know where he was constantly and he certainly didn't need to know everything there was about their saviour. This was a terrible breach in privacy and caused the other students to turn paranoid. What if their own privacy was being monitored by their "trusting" Headmaster?

Ron and Hermione were slowly shrinking in on themselves with the glares they were receiving from the entire student body. They had slipped so far. Not only were they now pretty excluded from everyone in Hogwarts but Dumbledore wouldn't have been very pleased with them either for getting caught in such a dire situation. Now that most of the student body was alerted to the fact that they often spoke and spied for the Headmaster their loyalty towards the man would also take a hit making it more difficult to get recruits for the Order.

The Headmaster couldn't have been too pleased with that at all.

It was so quiet in the hall you could have heard a pin drop from the other side. The professors were unsure of what to do now that it was known the Headmaster liked to keep tabs on certain people. Should they side with their employer or their students? It was a difficult choice to make.

Harry however was pleased with how this had turned about. He'd caused the students to think. Gryffindor was already ahead in that area. They no longer trusted Dumbledore yet they remained true to their own beliefs of courage. Slytherin would always be hooked into the Dark so there was no changing that however now Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had a chance. Keeping calm, he turned towards Ron and Hermione were more than beyond screwed for what they had done.

"I don't want to speak to either of you ever again. I can't trust you. From this moment on we are only acquaintances nothing more." He spoke with a calm that through everyone.

They all expected him to continue shouting. That wasn't going to happen as long as he was an Elemental. He couldn't risk it.

"But mate…" Ron said weakly.

He couldn't believe that this was happening. The past year had been excellent. Hermione had chosen him, he'd been chosen as a Prefect and he had Harry's fame to ride off. Then he started to sit with the other Gryffindor's and everything went spiralling downhill. What was he meant to do with Harry? He couldn't very well become an Auror or a famous Quidditch player without help from Harry!

Hermione was thinking along the same lines. Without Harry she would get nowhere. She was a muggleborn with ideas of change for the Wizarding world. But Purebloods ruled the Ministry and without Harry supporting her she wouldn't get into anything important. She wouldn't be able to change things to make them more efficient. Nor would she be able to change a few ancient laws that no one had ever heard about to make living for muggleborns improved. Without Harry, they had nothing…

"Don't make me repeat it Weasley. It's for the best that you leave me be. As far as I'm concerned I want nothing to do with the pair of you anymore. Stay out of my life."

The Golden Trio was no more. It was official though this had been gearing to happen for months.

"Harry, my boy, don't you believe-"

"Oh no Headmaster, I believe that a break up between friends has nothing to do with you nor does my private life. The only thing that should concern you about my life is whether or not I'm passing in my subjects. Anything else is just immoral to be speaking of unless I bring it up with you. In regard to my private life Headmaster, back the hell out!" Harry snapped.

Now that this was public there would be a lot of conspicuous thoughts about where Harry Potter, the saviour of the Wizarding world, stood in the supposed fight against the Dark Lord even if no one believed him to have returned. The Ministry were still in disbelief over that particular feat and with Harry no longer backing Dumbledore many wondered if Harry would cease spouting the words repeated by Dumbledore.

Where their now three parties in the upcoming war?

Albus Dumbledore… Leader of the Light…

Lord Voldemort… the Dark Lord…

…and then there was Harry Potter.

No one knew what he would do or who he would support. Perhaps he would become the leader of the neutral party? It was a difficult thing to call and it was safe to say no one knew him well enough to make a decision. Only speculation would occur.

Harry however knew what he would do. He knew what would become of him and of the people who followed him. They would be safe. They would be protected. They would stand true to their beliefs and he would be the leader of it all regardless of who stood against them.

But most importantly, his secret would be kept safe.

x-x-x-x-x

The Golden Trio was no more… That was the only thought going through Draco's head as he sat for his breakfast.

He couldn't quite grasp the concept of not having the three together anymore. They had always been so close and such a tight knit group that no one had noticed or even begun to realize until earlier this year that something between them had shifted. It was a complete shock that anything like this could ever have happened. But, Draco assumed that not many people actually payed attention to the three as a group. The only saw the image and immediately swooned. That was their mistake.

During, Harry's angry rant (that was surprising calm for the saviour), Draco had listened to every word spoken intently.

Weasel and Granger had only been in it for the money and fame. They wanted fame, fortune and an excellent future. All of which the great Harry Potter could provide if chosen. Then of course was the knowledge that Dumbledore had ordered them to do it all to keep his saviour on a leash. Yet there was still one thought that couldn't quite leave his mind.

Harry Potter's true friends had been completely phony. He'd never felt more elated.

He's been correct. During their first meeting on the Hogwarts' Express, he'd told Potter that some families were better than others. Potter should have payed more attention, then he wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with. If Harry had only listened to him when he'd had the opportunity, Draco could have shown him what true friendship was all about. He could have steered Harry in the right direction and provided him with the protection from the media he desperately needed.

But no, Harry had ignored everything about that situation and chosen Weasley, the youngest son from a poor family. However even then he still wanted to be a part of Harry's life even if that meant as a rival. He didn't want to be like everyone else Harry crossed paths with and fade into the background. He wanted Harry to remember him easily.

Draco had sent many nights contemplating why he needed to have such a strong connection with Harry Potter. He hadn't just wanted or desired this he needed to be remembered by Harry. Harry Potter always drew attention to himself even when he didn't want it. People were drawn to him because he was the Boy-Who-Lived but for him it seemed different. It was something he had yet to understand and something he wasn't likely to contemplate further for a while.

What he needed to do now is concentrate on locating the other Elementals. If he could do that then he could spend all the time in the world attempting to befriend Harry. Yes, he had to prioritize. The Dark Lord's Elementals would always come first. Harry would just have to wait. Til then he would be keeping a close eye on those that attempted to befriend the Boy-Who-Lived.

* * *

**Yep another chapter... I was watching the first episode of the new season of True Blood and nearly died laughing when I saw Fiona Shaw playing a witch. I was laughing so hard I nearly fell off my chair. My family thought I was a freak but what else is new... they shall just never understand! Anyway thank you for all of the reviews. I do plan to read them all and answer the one's with questions just haven't got a lot of time at the moment. So we shall see...**

**~MidnightEmber**


	5. Plans

**~ Chapter 05: Plans ~**

If Harry believed that the worse of his already bad day was over, he was fooling himself. If anything, the day was only getting worse and it was all because of the terrible morning he'd started with.

First he had been woken up in the early hours of the morning by that prat of an ex-friend, Ron Weasley. Honestly could he snore any louder? Then the same prat had decided to make a scene in the Great Hall about their broken friendship. The only good thing about that was he had confirmed everyone's belief that the Golden Trio was no more. With this he didn't have to worry about numerous people walking up to him and constantly enquiring about him, Weasley and Granger.

Of course he'd pretty much stormed from the hall after that. The school's reaction to their break-up wasn't something he really looked forward to seeing. Though he could probably guess what their reactions would be. The Hufflepuff's would be respectful of his privacy. The Ravenclaw's would have to have every detail possible to piece the entire event together. The Slytherin's would simply want to congratulate him for finally seeing sense. He certainly wished to avoid all of that.

So he left with Neville and Dean to their first class that morning, Herbology with the Hufflepuff's.

The class itself hadn't been too bad. Professor Sprout hadn't spoken a word to him the entire lesson while her Hufflepuff's kept to themselves. Harry, Neville and Dean had worked side by side as they replanted some monstrosity of a plant that would more than likely eat your hand should you do something incorrect.

Many of the students had donned their protective gloves when the plants began growling at them ominously not that it would help. One wrong move and they would attack. Man-eating plants weren't something anyone wanted to test. Everyone had moved to their own plant and was currently attempting to cautiously move them into bigger pots. Throughout the greenhouse all you could hear was the growls of plants and the screams of children as plants snapped at them. Harry however didn't really have much trouble with it.

If anyone had been paying close attention, they would have realized that Harry's plant was actually cooing at him. It was kind of embarrassing when you thought about it. Giant, Man-eating plants shouldn't coo… it wasn't natural. The plant actually had Harry blushing at some of the sounds it was making. However by the end of the lesson only Harry, Neville and Hannah had successfully potted their plants.

It was occasions like this that had Harry loving his ability even if it was connected to the Dark Lord. If this continued he might actually start improving in his marks. Then he would have a choice of what job he could choose in the future. That would be brilliant since he no longer had any desire to be an Auror. He rather doubted he would enjoy hunting wizards and fixing problems for the remainder of his life.

Once Herbology was let out the three of them moved to History of Magic. Much to Harry's frustration, they only had this class with other Gryffindor's of their year level.

Currently, two of the people he despised most in Hogwarts were attempting to gain his attention at every passing second. Most likely this was to apologize for what they had done wrong that morning however, Harry was way past accepting a simply apology from them. Yet they were persistent and he could almost tear his hair out in aggravation.

Since Professor Binns only ever paid any attention to the students at the very beginning and very end of the lesson, you could practically get away with anything during the lesson as long as you were quiet. That left Ron and Hermione, who were sitting behind Harry, to send notes to him throughout the entire lesson. Every time he spotted a new note he would immediately destroy it. Yet as the lesson wore on he began to realize simply destroying them would do no good as they continued to arrive.

Eventually he began to invent new ways of destroying the notes. One turned into a paper airplane and flew around the room while another folded itself into an origami phoenix and burst into flame. Once the other Gryffindor's caught on to what Harry was doing with the prat's notes, they turned it into a game.

Who can destroy the notes in the most creative way?

By the end of the lesson it was decided that Seamus won. He had managed to turn one of the notes into a photo of a dishevelled Ron and Hermione from breakfast only more exaggerated. Hermione had leaves and twigs in her hair while Ron had dirt caking his face. Their clothes were torn to shreds.

Upon seeing the completed image, they had decided that it was by far the best transfiguration and kept it. They actually had to stifle their laughter until they left the classroom. The image was that brilliant, though Ron and Hermione didn't agree. Thankfully, lunch was after History of Magic so they needn't have worried about being late for their next class.

Lunch, of course, was a normal affair. In their large group, they sat around the Gryffindor table and ate. Ron and Hermione however weren't anywhere near them. They had managed to sit in between a group of seventh years and a small gathering of third years. That left Ron and Hermione to sit alone sending pleading glances Harry's way which he ignored. The fact that the entire table was ignoring them was just the icing on the cake. McGonagall, their Head of House, wasn't too pleased but none of her lions truly cared.

Harry definitely didn't care what they thought. He had friends, true friends and that was all he needed. No one could tempt him otherwise especially his Head of House or their meddling Headmaster.

Together they moved from lunch to Defence Against the Dark Arts. The Gryffindor's were less than pleased by this class. Like Potions, they had Defence with the Slytherin's. Now not only did they have to put up with the Slytherin's crap but they had to deal with Professor Malfoy allowing it. The Slytherin's, of course, always looked forward to this class. No surprises there.

They entered the classroom long before the Slytherin's and took the seats along the right side of the room facing towards the teacher. Harry chose to sit with Neville. That way Seamus and Dean would be with each other and Lavender and Parvati would also be with each other. Thankfully they all chose to sit near the back leaving Ron and Hermione in the front to face Malfoy Senior's wrath. Truly they only had themselves to blame for the torture they were likely to endure.

Five minutes later the Slytherin's entered with the Professor behind them. Ron and Hermione were the only one's not present. Yet they all knew that Malfoy wouldn't wait for them to arrive. If they weren't here on time they could just miss the work. It had been the rule since the very beginning of the term.

"Today, we shall begin our lesson as usual with a recap of the previous lesson. Can anyone tell me what it is that we learnt?" Lucius Malfoy drawled.

None of the Gryffindor's were too keen on raising their hand. They all knew that last lesson they had learnt the properties of several different shield charms that could be used against different forms of curses. However Malfoy never chose them to answer a question anyway so they didn't really see the point in volunteering.

"Yes, Mr Zabini?"

"You taught us the seven most used shields by the Auror Academy and what it was each shield protected us from, sir."

Lucius nodded his head. "Indeed, five points to Slytherin. Today we shall go in depth into the curses that can't be shielded against no matter how powerful the shield. Take your books out and turn to page 327."

The Gryffindor's sighed quietly. This had been occurring for some time now. Malfoy would teach them of spells to protect and curses yet they hadn't actually been allowed to use the spells yet. Everything they learnt so far was theory. Harry really didn't think it was so much of a waste. At least they were still learning spells that they could use at a later date. All they needed to do was practice in their own time something many of them should be doing.

Just as Professor Malfoy began his lecture, the door burst open revealing Ron and Hermione. They were both huffing from the obvious run to the classroom. Their clothing was still presentable meaning they didn't get caught up in some empty broom closet. The class didn't even bother turning to them and granting them any attention. It wasn't really needed.

"Sorry that we're late Professor-" Hermione began.

"I don't care if the Headmaster himself was the one to keep you. My class starts at the exact time if you are not here, you will not learn. I don't care either which way. Now take a seat you are disrupting my class. Five points from Gryffindor each." Lucius growled.

Blushing furiously, the pair moved to sit in the front seats. Harry didn't even glance at the pleading looks they passed him. He had other things to worry about in this classroom then their attempts to get back into his good graces. After all he was in the same room as an Elemental and said Elemental's Death Eater father. It was proving trying indeed.

Sure he had managed to keep calm for the past two weeks but he could see it getting worse within the next few weeks. After his little outburst this morning, he was positive that Draco would have assumed he was something to watch. He had seen the Great Hall during lunch and there was a crack in the wall after all. Yet nothing had happened. Draco was paying close attention to everything his father was saying as if he had no clue what Harry was.

That at least gave Harry time to think. He wasn't having much luck reading through the Elemental books at the moment. Every time he believed he would be able to read a bit more he was interrupted by someone. Not that he truly cared about being interrupted. He was frustrated at his rate of success.

The first book stated that if he wanted to truly master his own power that he would need to read and understand all seven books. So far he was only half way through the first book, Elementals: An Introduction. As amazing as the information within the book was, it didn't aid him in the control of his own ability. Harry was beginning to believe that it was only written that way so he would spend longer in learning control over his ability granting more time for others to discover his secret. Slytherin was just that devious.

Also there had been no mention of any feasible way to hide the band on his wrist. So far he had taken to wearing long sleeved shirts with his robes over them. They were long enough to hide it when he was walking but when he moved or lifted his arm the sleeve would fall down and show the mark. Currently he was left with keeping an eye on his sleeve in case it did slide up to reveal the mark in any Slytherin or Malfoy presence.

This was only a temporary solution since he wasn't really paying any attention to the actual lesson. Luckily Malfoy didn't particularly care if he paid a lot of attention or not. As long as he was on time and sat their quietly, he could get away with doing absolutely nothing or staring into space.

Harry smirked. There was one good thing about keeping quiet in class. It meant Hermione was all that more vocal. She would always question what Professor Malfoy did, said or explained. Every five minutes she was jumping in her seat with a new question for their professor to answer. Malfoy ignored her. However as the lesson wore on you could see that Malfoy's Death Eater tendencies began to shine through.

"Professor, about the theory on the last shield, the book says that-"

"Sit down you insufferable girl lest I use you in a demonstration." Lucius had hissed at Hermione.

This was also another reason many of the Hogwarts students preferred Defence to be merely theory. The last time one of the students had been asked to be part of a demonstration, it hadn't turned out too well. As Hermione realized, sitting down quietly.

The poor seventh year Ravenclaw had believed they were better than their own teacher. A Ravenclaw, for all their smarts, had believed to be better than one of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. Well he hadn't lasted long. He had shown up after Defence to the Hospital Wing and hadn't been released for a week. No one knew what he had been cursed with and the other students in the class were being tight lipped about the entire lesson.

"Any more questions, or may I continue with the lesson?" Lucius snarled.

It was obvious he had no patience for fools and the fools weren't going to test him. The entire class remained silent.

As the lesson came to an end, Harry dutifully noted their homework and left before Ron and Hermione could possibly catch up. He had a free period now and he was going to make the most of it. Sure that meant he was going to also blow off Neville and the others but he needed this time. He was going to learn more on the Elementals.

Combing in the castle, he eventually located a room that was layered with dust. Assuming that it hardly was ever used, Harry sealed the door with a few layers of spells before conjuring a couch to sit on. His homework was dropped beside the couch and soon forgotten as he opened the chest and pulled out 'Elementals: An Introduction'.

The book so far had been of little help to controlling his abilities however there were little parts in the books that were by far very interesting to realize. So he planned to finish reading it before moving onto the fourth volume 'Elementals: The Earth'. It never mentioned that he had to read all from start to finish. At least then he would have some semblance of control in his life.

So far he had learnt that not every generation of Slytherin's would have a set of Elementals. It didn't even have a reliable pattern to tell when the next Heir of Slytherin would obtain them. Salazar Slytherin had made it impossible for those weak of magic in his bloodline to call forth the elementals. One had to be exceptionally gifted to summon them and even then there were still other criteria that had to be met when controlling the elementals.

He had read that one of Slytherin's sons had attempted to bind his father's Elementals to himself. It had gone fine at first. The Elementals didn't particularly listen to him but he still had control. However as the weeks wore on he began to lose control of his magic and his mind. Slowly, he went insane until he was nothing more than the mental age of a two year old. The Elementals had then returned to their master not caring about what they had caused. So if anyone other than Lord Voldemort took control of the Elementals, they would eventually be useless.

Not only that, but the Elementals' master had to be from the main branch of Slytherin line. If they were from another branch linked to the family they would have no hope of being selected for the position of Lord Slytherin, and only one with the power of the Elementals could be called Lord Slytherin. It was terribly hard to be named Lord Slytherin.

With this knowledge, Harry admitted that the Dark Lord was possibly the only one with the capabilities to control their awesome and yet terrifying power. He was exceptionally powerful and a direct descendant from the Slytherin line. There would be no other that could possibly match him. Harry had broken into the Forbidden Section in the Library and checked the Slytherin family book for possible names yet Voldemort was the last. Truly no one else had a hope of controlling them.

Knowing what he did about his supposed master, he had moved further onto the section regarding the elementals. He needed more information about what he was before he started learning any control. What he found surprised him.

They had complete control over their gifted element and more. Even their master couldn't control the elements. The only power he had was over the Elementals themselves. He could control them but not their abilities. Their abilities were theirs to control and no one else could lay that claim.

However their master, in this case the Dark Lord, had to be strong enough to contain all of their abilities in case they got out of hand. If at any time their emotions became too much and their abilities went out of control, then their master had the ability to reign in how much of their magic was released. This kept the destruction to a minimum in unwanted situations.

Animals were also not a problem for the Elementals. They could communicate to animals of their chosen element. Earth would be able to speak to land animals, Water to aquatic animals, Air to birds and those of flight and Fire to desert creatures. It was all quite amazing. Yet, Harry honestly didn't know what to think.

They could achieve so much and in the hands of the good or evil it could be destructive. Whatever Harry attempted to do with his life he wouldn't be able to sit back and do nothing.

He'd resigned himself, after completing the first book, to the fact that eventually the Dark Lord would figure out who all of his Elementals were. The more Elementals he claimed, the easier it would be to feel the others' presence. It would only be a matter of time before he was discovered.

What mattered now was timing. He wasn't ready to face the Dark Lord and admit what he was, admit that he was going to work underneath the man that had murdered his parents. He needed time to accept that. No, if he was going to do this, it would be his way and his terms, no one else would tell him what to do especially Voldemort.

Harry sighed. Not only did he have to include himself into his calculations but also Luna and the Scorpion, whoever that was. Draco may have entered into this willingly but he was going to lay down some rules and show that he wasn't an underling but an equal. He was not going to be someone to take this lying down. He would fight every step of the way.

First however he was going to have to locate Luna and speak to her. With her insight into their situation, he would be able to work through a proper plan and not simply rush in like the Gryffindor the Wizarding World believed him to be. He would do this right… for all of them.

x-x-x-x-x

Lucius sighed as his last class left the room. Teaching these idiots was not something he enjoyed. Not only was he not permitted to teach the subject that he truly wanted to but he had to keep a level head when it came to the students who had no clue what they were doing. He wasn't permitted to punish them should they do something wrong but instead had to grant them a detention. It was so lacklustre. Honestly he didn't know how the Dark Lord had managed to get him to agree to this.

However there was more to his appearance at Hogwarts than teaching.

He was Draco's mentor. That would usually mean nothing to other witches and wizards but to the Death Eaters it would soon be a very important position, one that many would envy. It would be even higher and more exclusive than the Inner Circle. This would be something that not just anyone could take or earn. Only the Elementals would be able to decide.

To be an Elemental's mentor was something that the Dark Lord was adamant about being perfect. These mentors would be everything to his Elemental's. If they were killed or separated for any length of time it would be a huge problem. The Dark Lord would never allow that to occur which was the second reason he was at Hogwarts.

As a mentor to an Elemental, he had to be close by to his Element. The fact that said Elemental was also his son was a bonus. During the school year he hardly ever saw his son, this way he would be able to spend more time with his son. Yet that was proving to be more trouble than he had first thought.

Draco was meant to be searching for the other Elementals. That search hadn't gotten very far. Sure his son had carefully searched the others on the train however that wasn't enough. He had to be looking for signs of the other Elementals whilst at Hogwarts. There might not be any Elementals at the school at all but they had to be vigilant. Somehow Lucius needed to kick his son into gear.

Luck appeared to be on his side as Draco walked into his classroom.

"Father, how was your day?" Draco enquired as he had the past few weeks.

For some reason, Draco felt the need to see his mentor every day. Neither Lucius nor the Dark Lord could explain the reason behind it. Only Draco could provide them with some insight and yet he remained tight lipped on the entire thing. The Dark Lord simply assumed it was because they didn't know the other Elementals yet and he needed to be close to them.

"It was satisfactory at best." Lucius replied, watching as his son moved in closer.

Draco latched onto Lucius' arm and dragged him into his office attached to the classroom. It was a comfortable room where Lucius often spent his time relaxing between classes to avoid those unsightly children. Draco just liked the comfortable sofa that sat innocently against the wall.

With holding a sigh, Lucius allowed his son to curl beside him. Draco hadn't done this even as a child and to be perfectly honest it was a tad disturbing. The Malfoy heir should be proper in any setting not only the public one.

"How have you been faring in class Draco?" Lucius asked. He needed to find a way of leading the conversation to the Elementals as subtly as possible so his son didn't believe he was aiding him.

"They have been fine. As usual most of the teachers simply ignore the Slytherin's. They don't care for us. However my grades have been excellent and rival those of that filthy mudblood. By the end of the year I hope to surpass her." Draco boasted.

Lucius was quite pleased about his results so far. Having a mudblood better than his own son was something that he despised greatly. Now to lead towards the information he needed Draco to have.

"Did you witness what occurred this morning between Potter and those misfits he called friends?" Lucius questioned. "It caused such an emotional stir that the walls of the Great Hall suffered for it. They are having trouble even now fixing the crack behind the Ravenclaw table."

Draco eagerly nodded his head. Of course he had witnessed that. If he hadn't he certainly would have heard about it. The Golden Trio was no more. He could possibly have a chance at being Harry Potter's friend once again. He had another chance so he wouldn't squander it. The only problem was the rest of the protective Gryffindor house. They seemed reluctant to let anyone else close to them for some reason. It made many curious as to what they were… wait… what?

"A crack in the wall, father?"

Lucius mentally cheered. This was slowly working his way.

"Indeed, a giant crack spread across the wall of the Great Hall during Potter's latest speech. It was quite magnificent. The Headmaster and Professor Flitwick have yet to fix it completely."

Draco immediately began thinking. Often feats such as that were impossible. The Headmaster of Hogwarts was always able to fix whatever the problem was. The fact that he couldn't was revealing. Only someone of great magical strength could cause that much damage. It meant the Elemental of Earth was somewhere within Hogwarts' halls.

That was only half of it though. He could narrow this down even further. The Earth Elemental was someone close to Potter. This was also simple to deduce.

The crack along the wall had occurred during Potter's rant at his ex-friends. Something in the words must have triggered the Elemental into fury. He wouldn't be able to contain it if he felt someone threatening his friends. So this Elemental could be anyone from Gryffindor's fifth, sixth or seventh year. It was possible that they were also in the fourth year because of the youngest Weasel but not likely. Potter was on the Quidditch team which included mostly older members. Now all he had to do was keep an eye out and narrow down the list.

Of course the Earth Elemental could be Harry Potter himself, but it seemed unlikely. The Dark Lord had been attempting to kill Harry Potter since he was an infant. It would have been impossible for the Dark Lord to even contemplate killing one of his Elementals. It was simply something that could be done even if they all defected. The Dark Lord couldn't raise his wand to them.

At least now he had a list of people he could begin to search. He would need to be careful and pay close attention but everything should be alright. After all he was Air. He could be subtle if he wanted to be or as loud as a hurricane. All it would take is time and patience.

"Yes, father it was quite a magnificent feat." Draco agreed. "Perhaps I may even be capable of such impressive magic. I should leave you to your marking. I'll speak to you tomorrow father."

Lucius nodded as Draco swiftly took his leave.

Finally! He'd been able to get Draco's mind set into the phase that they needed. Now at least they would be one the correct track. If the Dark Lord enquired over what they had been able to discover, Draco would be able to provide information that would satisfy their master until more could be learned.

He had been worried that when they spoke next with the Dark Lord that Draco would be punished for his lack of information. Now with something to provide he knew that his son would be kept safe for a time. After that it would require more finesse to keep his son safe from their master's punishments but he would think over that later. Right now he had marking to do.

x-x-x-x-x

The end of the day had come and gone which Harry was quite thankful for. After his time spent reading 'Elementals: An Introduction' he went to dinner. This was merely to appease his friends since he hadn't seen them all afternoon. They were quite worried for his wellbeing while he was at Hogwarts something he didn't bother calling them on. He was always in danger at Hogwarts and if they desired to protect him then he wasn't going to stop their determination.

However after dinner, he disappeared again, this time telling the Gryffindor's he was going to speak to a friend of his from another house. That way they wouldn't panic when he didn't show in the Common Room when dinner was over.

Of course escaping Ron and Hermione was more difficult than that. He had to actually sic the other Gryffindor's on them much to the displeasure of his Head of House and Headmaster. He didn't care however, if he was to meet Luna he needed to be alone. Ron and Hermione he could never trust again with this while the other Gryffindor's were new to him. His trust didn't stretch that far especially when it came to this. The only person he had was Luna.

Walking out of the Great Hall, he watched as robes disappeared around a corner to his left. He could feel that it was Luna since they both recognized each other as Elementals so it was safe to follow her.

Eventually she led him to a blank wall. Harry blinked a few times before approaching Luna. She had never led him wrong before but this was ridiculous. What was the point in meeting here if anyone could walk in on them? It wouldn't take much to spy on them that was for sure. All anyone would need to do is hide behind one of the corners.

"Where do you want to go, Harry?" Luna asked.

Harry had to pause. Where did he want to go? What type of question was that? They couldn't actually travel anywhere whilst within the castle. Dumbledore would know immediately if they left. Nonetheless he answered her question.

"I would like to go to Central Park, Luna." Harry answered.

The park was always calm for him. Of course he now knew that this was because he was an Elemental but that didn't matter to him. If he was going to create a plan for them then they needed to be relaxed. Since the Park would also have a pond, Luna would feel relaxed as well. It was the perfect place for them.

Luna nodded and began pacing before the wall. On the third pass a door began to form on the wall. Harry's jaw hit the floor as Luna opened the door. Beyond the walls of Hogwarts was Central Park. Eagerly, he followed Luna into the room and watched as the door closed behind them. It remained where it was, looking out of place amongst all of the foliage.

Looking around, Harry realized that there wasn't actually anyone but them in Central Park. It was empty and calming with the sounds of the breeze rustling the leaves and tiny splashes of water as fish swam amongst the reeds. It definitely was the perfect place for them both even if it was a copy.

Finding a seat before the water, they walked side by side sitting down before the water.

"Luna, what is this room?"

Luna stared at the pond dreamily. It was obvious to Harry that she enjoyed the isolation of this place as much as he did.

"This is the Room of Requirement, Harry. House elves call this the Come-and-Go Room. It is a place of infinite possibilities because it becomes anything you need."

Harry was gobsmacked. This room could become anything… anything he wanted… It was simply astounding and absolutely brilliant. Why no one had ever heard of this before Harry couldn't understand since it was possibly the best room inside Hogwarts.

"The room only appears if you need it otherwise it can't be located. It is the perfect spot to hide things as well." Luna answered his thought. "Now, what was it that you need to speak to me about? The Hollowings said it was something of great importance."

Harry easily ignored the mentions of the Hollowings. It was obviously something only Luna could truly understand so he wasn't going to attempt to analyse it.

"I've decided that simply hiding my status as an Elemental won't be possible long term. Eventually, it would only be too easy to locate us with Draco keeping an eye on things. However I don't want to do this on Voldem- the Dark Lord's terms. I want it to be my choice as to when I choose to unveil my identity to him and I want the same for you and the Scorpion. That way I can at least secure our safety. For that I would need a plan and your help." Harry spoke staring at the reeds in the pond.

They seemed to sway back and forth tempting him to fall asleep yet that was something that he couldn't do right now. He needed a solid plan to help those around him. He wouldn't fail the ones that needed his help.

"That is quite wise, great snake." Luna agreed. "It would be much appreciated for those that are not use to standing up against the Dark Lord."

Harry smiled. Facing the Dark Lord for the first time was entirely daunting. He was use to the pressure of going face to face with someone that powerful others weren't. That he could easily understand.

"The best bet for this is for me to be claimed next. That way I can control the amount of information getting to Vold- the Dark Lord. I could also block the amount of information Draco gives him. This would give you and your mentor time to acknowledge what you might be tasked to do in the future. It would also give us time to get to the Scorpion before anyone else." Harry insisted.

Luna stared unwaveringly into the deep water. Harry could feel their Elements stirring and knew that she was seeing into the future. It was an odd sight and not likely one she revealed to many so to be included in that few felt exalted.

"The Snake would need to be careful." Luna spoke in a dreamy voice. It was distant and concerned Harry slightly but he felt it was all part of the process so he didn't stop her.

"The Hawk's father is very observant and like the Slytherin he is, is aiding his son anyway he can. The Fish and the Scorpion will be safe for a time after the Snake is discovered. Yet that will not last as long as many would desire. If the Snake plans to go through with this, he will need a mentor. One adult that will guide him through the trials that lies before him. The mentor helps to protect the Elementals so all shall need one before facing the master."

Harry sighed as Luna kept staring into the water, this time less focused. It was obvious that she would be gone for a time so he had time to think.

He was pleased that he could aid the other Elementals this way yet it was frustrating. He didn't want to have a mentor. The years at the Dursley's had taught him not to trust adults. Then the years at Hogwarts hadn't improved that belief at all. It only furthered it. Adults couldn't be trusted with anything of importance when it came to one Harry James Potter. They all saw the invincible Boy-Who-Lived and nothing else. He would always be strong, brave and save the day.

Now with this living over his head, who was he meant to turn to? No one would believe him and no one would take him seriously. They would all believe that he could take care of it. Yet with this he would not be getting away. He would become one of the Dark Lord's Elementals. It was just a matter of time.

"I wouldn't worry Harry." Luna said startling him from his thoughts.

He hadn't realized she was back in the land of the non-divine. It was a much welcomed sight though. To be able to divine the future from simply staring into the water must not be very easy for Luna. Harry felt as if he should only ever ask her to do this when it was of dire need. Her abilities wouldn't be used frivolously for his pleasure.

"Why is that Luna?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Your mentor is simply waiting for you. He'd already taken an oath to protect you. This man… he would do anything to keep you safe. I know he will keep you safe, Harry. He's already done this numerous times before without your knowledge. So you have nothing to worry about. He will be exactly what you need." Luna smiled.

"But Luna… how am I meant to approach him when I don't know who he is?"

Luna simply kept smiling and kicking her feet back and forth. She was relaxed which really helped with Harry's nerves over this entire thing. Without Luna he probably would have gone insane by now with worrying thoughts.

"Your mentor shall come to you, Harry. So don't worry. Everything will sort itself out in the end."

Harry eventually agreed. She sounded so positive that he couldn't help but believe her, believe in her. If his mentor was going to approach him then he would simply have to wait until that time. Whether that time was near or far away he didn't know. But at least it was a load off his mind. He could move forward when that occurred.

His plan would work and it would buy them all time to adjust and gain fair rights for what they deserved. This was something they all needed and he wasn't going to stop fighting just because the Dark Lord had some new found power over them. No, he was fighting this to the end whether the Dark Lord liked it or not because he was Harry Potter.

* * *

**So here is the next chapter~ I wanted to post this chapter now since I have to go to the dentist later today. Not that I don't like my dentist! She just has the unfortunate quality of asking me questions when I obviously can't answer... I think they do that on purpose sometimes. Anyway I'll stop there before I go on a rant. Thank you for all the reviews!**

**~MidnightEmber**


	6. Unexpected Aid

**~ Chapter Six: Unexpected Aid~**

Tuesday morning was like any other day at Hogwarts. Harry woke up, dressed and walked to the Great Hall surrounded by his friends… or at least those that had woken that early (most Gryffindor's preferred to sleep in). As usual they jumped over steps that were tricks or just spaces that didn't exist. They would then walk down numerous corridors and moving staircases to get to their desired destination.

All in all it was a usual morning routine really, as were Harry's problems with his nerves.

His nerves were always shot. Keeping this secret from so many people was beginning to have its toll on him. The Order of the Phoenix had been first. That had been relatively simple compared to keeping his secret from Death Eaters. They desired to locate Elementals. The Order didn't even know they existed.

Harry walked around the school on eggshells. Any one of the students at Hogwarts could be a Death Eater currying favour for their Master and he had yet to find a proper way of hiding his Elemental band. In his spare time he had attempted a few things that he could easily find lying around the dorm that wouldn't be missed, such as a bandage, but it burnt away to nothing as soon as it touched the band. It appeared as if only a long sleeved shirt and his robes were saving him so far. Nothing else he had attempted had worked but there were always more things to try at a later date.

Considering all of this, he really had his work cut out for him.

Then there was the Air Elemental, Draco Malfoy, himself. He was the main man leading the search. After all you couldn't have it easier than being an Elemental bonded to the Dark Lord. The world pretty much became your oyster. Locating another Elemental was just a simple job assigned by their Master. Luckily, he had yet to search outside his own house.

Regardless of all this pilling up around him, he was keeping his secret safe.

So when he entered the Great Hall that morning, surrounded by his awesome friends, everything was like every other morning…

"Good morning Potter."

… until then. Turning, Harry was astounded to see the one person he least desired to see and one he would never have believed to approach him. Draco Malfoy stood before the Gryffindor group.

Harry immediately jumped to numerous conclusions about his sudden appearance. Was he attempting to get close to him for a specific reason? Had he figured out that he was an Elemental? Or was there some other reason that Draco Malfoy would greet his long term rival? He had absolutely no clue as to the reason behind this sudden greeting. All he could do was return the greeting in kind.

"…good morning Malfoy" Harry greeted cautiously.

The other Gryffindor's were keeping an eye on this meeting as were many of the professors. Harry assumed that they were simply waiting for the argument to spin out of control. That way, they could take numerous points from each house.

"I'm glad that you and the rest of your lions have finally seen how pathetic the Weasley family and that mudblood can be. It would be dreadful to continue to allow such travesties of society the right to converse to their betters. As it is, we at the Slytherin table were horrified by the display yesterday. Weasley can be so uncouth about the most sensitive subjects."

The group looked at each other. What had suddenly bought this on?

"Thanks Malfoy, I don't know what to say." Harry answered.

What exactly was he meant to say to something like that? I'm sorry… I should have listened to you when you were brat back in first year? Somehow he doubted that would go down too well.

Besides it wasn't like Malfoy was actually paying much attention to him. Not that it was terribly noticeable but Draco was paying much more attention to his friends than to him. It was curious but served to keep Harry calm. If the Elemental wasn't attempting to dissect him then he wasn't thinking about Harry being an Elemental. For now he was in the all clear.

"Don't say anything Potter. Just keep yourself away from such filth as that in the future and you can be sure that you will go far in the Wizarding World."

Harry couldn't help but stare at the Malfoy heir. Something about the way Draco kept looking at his friends jumped to the front of his mind. His thoughts all clicked together and this entire scene made sense. Draco wasn't speaking to Harry because he thought Harry was the Elemental. The Slytherin was speaking to Harry because he believed that one of his friends was an Elemental.

It made sense in a way, he guessed. Many of his friends were close to him now. They all protected him from outside sources but none as much as Dumbledore and his band of little birds. Any of them would easily be angered over the issue with Ron and Hermione enough so to cause a crack in the wall. It was the best cover to keep him safe.

Luck appeared to be on his side.

Draco didn't say any more. He simply nodded his head and moved away. The entire Gryffindor group watched as Malfoy junior walked over to the Slytherin table and spoke to his friends. No indication was given that the past few minutes had ever happened.

"Did that just happen or am I still asleep?" Seamus asked.

The professors appeared not to believe it either. They were all shocked that a fight hadn't spun out of control by Malfoy and Potter simply being in the same air space. McGonagall and Snape were the most stunned at this turn of events. The Lions and the Snakes had never been on speaking terms only shouting terms. To them it was almost unthinkable.

In fact the entire hall was pretty quiet. Sure the Slytherin's were talking quietly amongst them but the other houses were cautious. The Gryffindor's were attempting to understand Malfoy's motivations. The Ravenclaw's as usual were analysing every aspect of the encounter. The Hufflepuff's simply couldn't understand why two feuding houses would suddenly get along with each other.

"Let's just call it an alien encounter and leave it at that." Dean said.

That caused an outbreak of questions on what an alien was and their morning returned to normal.

x-x-x-x-x

After that early morning shock, the day continued first of all with Transfiguration. Much to Harry's relief he only shared the class with other Gryffindor's. That meant no nosy Ravenclaw's or cautious Hufflepuff's. The Slytherin's couldn't even sympathize with him. The only people who were in the class knew better than to ask about what had happened, they realized that Harry didn't even know what had occurred and left it at that.

Some however weren't that bright.

"Harry! What do you think you were doing? What were you speaking to Malfoy about?" Ron shouted as he and Hermione rounded the corner to the Transfiguration classroom.

The effect they had on the group was astounding. Every single Gryffindor in the hall scowled at the pair.

"What do you mean, Ronald?" Parvati asked coldly.

Both Ron and Hermione should have been bright enough to realize that they weren't going to win any favours by questioning any of them, especially Harry. It would only serve to anger the group and as such the entire Gryffindor house. Yet they were obviously so under Dumbledore's thumb they couldn't see common sense if it hit them straight on.

"It's Malfoy! He's evil and a Death Eater. Harry, you can't be seen speaking to him! People will begin to think that you support the Dark Arts!" Ron justified.

The Gryffindor's couldn't even begin to answers Ron. That comment was so biased that they couldn't even believe it had been uttered at all.

"Weasley," Harry growled. "Who I choose to speak with is none of your business. If I want to talk to Malfoy without attacking him like a five year old I will."

He was past trying to explain himself now. If he wanted to answer Draco like a normal civilized wizard than he would! His life was soon to be bound to one dictator. That didn't mean he had to listen to wannabe dictators spout nonsense.

Hermione turned to him, hands on hips in reprimand. "Harry, you know nothing of what we mean. You can't be socializing with a future Death Eater when many of the people look up to you to be a role model for the Light. You are to be only seen with the right kind of people and Draco Malfoy is not one of them."

"Granger, what do you think he is? Five. He doesn't need you to scold him like a mother. He's grown up learning things his own way and he's done a fine job of it. Just because he speaks to Draco doesn't immediately associate him with You-Know-Who." Lavender scowled.

"Also didn't the Headmaster say we should encourage inter-house relationships at the Opening Feast? Harry is just taking the first step, once the Gryffindor and Slytherin house are over their feud the other houses should also be calm." Dean interjected.

Ron and Hermione looked flabbergasted that the entire Gryffindor year had banded together against them. Obviously they hadn't seen this coming even though it had been happening for a while and had been even more prominent the past few days. Honestly where had their heads been?

The group of Gryffindor's took their chance at the two's silence to enter the classroom undisturbed and all took seats to separate Harry from Ron and Hermione. At least then they might be able to have a calm lesson without hearing them bicker to Harry.

Unfortunately for the entire group as well as their professor, Hermione and Ron chose to bicker over other things instead. Obviously without Harry in their trio to act as a buffer between the two, they couldn't get along when they were stressed over other things. That led to them bickering over the simplest of things…

"Ron you're doing it wrong!" Hermione screeched causing everyone to flinch.

… such as incorrect spell casting.

It was only a small matter that would have easily been solved had Harry still spoke to them. After all Ron had only attempted the spell once while Hermione had tried at least ten times.

They were attempting this lesson to transfigure a turtle into a tea cosy. It wasn't the most useful of spells but it did provide them with some hilarity throughout the lesson. Some of their tea cosies had started to walk while other turtles had simply slid around confused at their sudden loss of legs. No one had yet to achieve the spell correctly.

Of course their concentration was hard to keep when Hermione Granger kept screeching directions at Ron. Honestly, Harry thought, what was she attempting to teach him? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't working well for them.

Half way through the lesson, they were all considering casting silencing charms at once on Hermione just to see if the effects of the charms would be permanent. Her voice was just so damn irritating and it was grating on everyone's nerves even, or so it seemed, their professor, who normally was calm about these things. However in a surprising turn of events, it was their Transfiguration teacher that snapped first.

"Miss Granger, if you can't keep your voice down I will have to send you out. Do you understand?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

Hermione meeped and hide herself behind a rather large text book that she pulled from her bag, embarrassed that she had been scolded for something as insignificant as being loud during class. Ron just rolled his eyes and continued attempting the new spell without Hermione's aid.

Thankfully, she was quiet for the remainder of the lesson. Harry couldn't have been more pleased with that turn of events.

However as the class came to an end, Harry nearly cursed. It was Charms with the Ravenclaw's and after the mornings brush in with Malfoy they would naturally be curious as a kitten. That left him between a rock and a hard place. Not only would he have to try to put as much distance to them as possible but he would have to ignore their curious stares throughout the entire lesson.

The bell rang signalling the end of Transfiguration. Harry heard Professor McGonagall shout out the homework as everyone began to gather their belongings. A sense of dread replaced the calm within him. It was the combination of the inquisitive Ravenclaw's and the ever annoying Golden duo that caused it. He wasn't certain how he would have survived without his friends by his side.

Harry moved to the next class surrounded protectively by his friends. They and other Gryffindor's they passed would aid them in keeping the other houses from pestering him too much. The Slytherin's were calmly thanked for their advice. Ravenclaw's were pushed away with riddles for them to focus on. The Hufflepuff's were knocked back forcibly when their pestering became annoying. All through it, Harry wasn't bothered at all.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled as she ran down the hall with Ron.

They were obviously attempting to catch up to Harry's entourage unsuccessfully. Harry had believed that he had made it quite clear through their arguments that they were no longer friends. Yet despite their recent conflict they still expected Harry to stop and allow them time to catch up. Not likely.

The group made it to Charms fairly easily with the aid of everyone else and quietly moved to their seats, careful to place Harry away from both the Ravenclaw's and the Golden Duo. However since Professor Flitwick wasn't present yet, the space between them didn't stop the questions from flying.

"Harry, is it true you and Draco Malfoy recently discovered you are closely related?"

"Does your closeness with Malfoy have anything to do with the You-Know-Who?" one of the girls immediately asked.

"That would also explain why he has recently separated himself from Granger and Weasley. He could very well be a Death Eater. After all who would expect the Boy-Who-Lived to be in with such a terrible crowd?"

"No, Harry wouldn't do that! He's the one person that's ever stood up against the Dark Lord." Hermione said outraged.

Quite honestly, Harry could believe it. He had the proof on his left wrist it just wasn't the proof that would incriminate him to them. No it would be an immediate beacon for Draco Malfoy.

"Harry is going to stand up to You-Know-Who and keep everyone safe from him, aren't you Harry?"

"I thought you didn't believe that he had return?"

"I… I don't! I just… when he returns-"

"Don't you mean 'if' he returns?"

"Of course, that's what I said wasn't it?"

"No you said when!"

"Aren't we getting off track here? We're meant to be discussing Harry and Draco!"

Harry simply sat back with wide eyes as the Ravenclaw's all began to argue amongst themselves with the occasional aid by Ron and Hermione. He was absolutely horrified.

How could people that boasted about being the smartest and most brilliant of Hogwarts be this ridiculously stupid? They were coming up with stories and explanations that didn't even make sense. Not to mention Ron and Hermione were only fuelling these silly stories with their own exclamations.

"Quiet all, today we're beginning something knew."

Bless Professor Flitwick. He always knew how to shut his Raven's up. Peace reigned for the entire lesson.

x-x-x-x-x

By Potions, Harry was completely exhausted and it was all Draco Malfoy's fault. He couldn't believe how much a few civil spoken words between rivals could be blown out of proportion. That was all anyone could talk about the entire time they had for lunch. The Great Hall had been abuzz for the entire forty-five minute break with many of the other houses attempting to get close to Harry.

If the sod hadn't already been in the classroom with Snape waiting for them, Harry would have completely snapped at him.

As it was, he couldn't help the feeling that this lesson wouldn't end well. With Draco Malfoy attempting to be calm sitting across from him and Granger and Weasley sitting in front of him, he knew this wasn't going to end well. The combination alone was going to kill him.

Snape barked out orders after glaring around the room at the seating arrangements. Obviously he had also picked up that all of the Gryffindor's had surrounded Harry and the Slytherin's had surrounded Draco, both in the middle of the room. If he hadn't witnessed the words spoken between them then he probably would have had them moved around to keep him and Draco from sabotaging each other.

Harry had started the fire beneath the cauldron as Neville, his unfortunate partner, went to gather the ingredients.

"Hey mate," Ron said.

A twitch of Harry's eyebrow was all the Weasel received. He really wasn't going to speak to him or Granger unless it was absolutely necessary. They weren't mates and that wasn't something that would change back overnight.

Beside him, Malfoy nodded almost approvingly.

"Mate look, I just wanted to apologize for everything 'Mione and I said at the start of Transfiguration. The Malfoy/Weasley feud simply jumped to the forefront of my mind and caused me to lash out. It was second nature, mate. I couldn't help it."

Blaming everything on his family feud, that was definitely something Ron Weasley would do. He would take the easy way out simply to get back into his 'good books' then continue on his way with whatever he felt like. Ron was simply hiding behind his family when times got tough.

"Ron, grow up," Harry hissed quietly. "That feud not only happened decades ago but it wasn't even your family that called it! The Malfoy's were the ones who named you blood traitors after one of your ancestors stole nearly all of the Malfoy's money and then ran away with a muggle. That's the reason your poor."

Everything he said was true. Harry had heard the tale late one night from Neville when he couldn't sleep. Coming from a Pureblood family, Neville was taught many things about family feuds and the reason behind them so not to be caught between them. This knowledge he would often share with Harry because of his link to two Pureblood families.

Ron burnt red as the facts were thrown in his face. Every person in the Potions classroom was snickering at his misfortune. Even Snape had a smirk on his face not that many would be able to tell. Thankfully, he ceased pestering Harry after that. Unfortunately that left it open for Hermione to start as soon as she returned with the ingredients.

"Harry, please allow us to explain what happened." Hermione begged once Snape's attention was elsewhere.

"No, I already told you, I want nothing to do with either you or Weasley ever again. Now stop distracting me and let me concentrate." Harry whispered.

If he didn't concentrate on his potion then there was the high possibility that it would explode. With Neville as his partner he really needed to pay attention. Neville was nervous enough around the Professor without adding an explosion into the mix. Not that it really mattered. If their potion exploded he was the one that Snape was going to blame. Neville would get off free. Snape was simply that sadistic.

"Harry-" Ron spoke.

Hadn't they learnt their lesson already?

"It's Potter to the both of you now since it's obvious you weren't really my friends to begin with."

The pair of them scowled but at least listened to him in an attempt to appease him.

"Fine Ha–_Potter_ we only did what we needed to do to get further in life. We aren't all rich and powerful like the Boy-Who-Lived. We needed the money more than you anyway. You would have done the exact same thing if you were in our position." Ron accused.

That was the most idiotic thing Harry had ever heard but at least now he had heard from them that all that mattered was his fame. He now knew exactly what they thought of him. Of course that didn't make it any easier to handle but at least they were being honest about it. Although from the looks Hermione was giving the redhead, Ron wasn't meant to reveal that. Oh well there loss.

"No I wouldn't because I don't care for fame like you do. Remember all those _lovely_ meetings I had with Lockhart? What about the accusations from Rita Skeeter? Did I enjoy being around someone else who had fame? No I didn't because I don't care for fame like you do but that doesn't seem to get through your think heads." Harry whispered furiously. "All you appear to see is this wonderful life I lead. But it doesn't exist. It's a fairy tale and those don't come true."

Harry was nearing his tolerance of them and if he didn't find a way to tune them out there would be trouble. He could see Snape eyeing them from the other side of the room and knew what was going to happen sooner or later. No matter what happened he would get detention for it even if the fault belonged to someone else and the man could easily see it.

Not only that, but his magic was going haywire. With his luck, the Elemental within him would react and cause another destructive reaction that he wouldn't be able to hide. That couldn't happen not with Draco so close by.

"But, Harry-"

"Listen, would you both just give it a rest! I've told you I want nothing to do with ever again but it just doesn't want to set into your small brains, does it. I don't want you two around, me hanging off me for my fame, as you said yourselves. I want and have friends who care about me as just Harry, so Leave. Me. Alone." Harry hissed furiously.

Just as he finished that, the potion that he was working on suddenly exploded. The contents spread all over the classroom and covered everyone including Snape. Luckily, it was a healing potion and he had actually prepared it correctly until the last step rendering it harmless. No, it would just turn their hair florescent pink for forty-eight hours. However that wasn't exactly a solid excuse.

He really should have been paying more attention to his potion and not to the idiots in front of him. They were the past and the past he really wanted to forget. He was in the now and that was where he wanted to remain.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Snape crossed the room in smooth tries til he was standing before his cauldron. The pink hair did nothing to lessen the effects of the malicious glare cast at him by the furious man.

"Potter, detention tonight, seven o'clock, don't be late!"

Harry let out a sigh as Neville pat him on the back. He really couldn't get a break this week.

x-x-x-x-x

At seven o'clock sharp, Harry entered the potions classroom for the second time that day. Snape was, as usual, sitting at his desk grading assignments from fourth years. With the amount of red he was using it didn't look like any of them would be getting O's or even and A for their work.

"Potter, you have the grand task of cleaning cauldrons this evening without magic, begin." He said without even looking up.

Harry scowled but grudgingly accepted that was all he was doing that evening. If Snape had been in a worse mood he would be dissecting bats or something equally foul like flubber worms. Without even a glance in Snape's direction, he removed his school robes leaving him in his pants and shirt and got to work.

Halfway through his cleaning, Snape stood and swooped down on him to check that he was actually doing the assigned work. Of course he didn't say anything he merely sneered when he realized Harry was indeed working on the caldrons at a reasonable pace and without his wand. That at least saved him from further verbal abuse.

"I shall be in my office. If anything is out of place in here or you slack off while I'm gone Potter, you shall regret it."

With that Snape turned and strode out, slamming the door shut and leaving Harry in silence. He didn't mind though. Actually he preferred it over the obsidian eyes that burned into the back of his head and made him uncomfortable. Harry wasn't sure why he was watching him but put it down to trust. Snape definitely didn't trust him and it showed in both his detentions and during class.

Harry rolled up his sleeves as he continued to clean relieved that no one was around to see the mark and continued with his work. Not that Harry actually desired for Snape to trust him or the other way around. There was no way that he would trust Snape. The past four years only proved what Snape truly thought about him.

To Snape he was a copy of his father though that wasn't true and Snape was the only person who had yet to realize it. Maybe when it finally showed up he could at least be civil towards him but until then it was going to be like talking to a brick wall.

Hearing the door bang open, Harry assumed that it was Snape and continued to work. If he stopped Snape would just assume that he was slacking off and give him another detention which would be dissecting something after he had cleaned out every single cauldron Snape could find. He didn't want to risk Snape seeing the band but he could always pass it off as a rebel faze and call it a muggle tattoo like he had with Petunia. Snape wouldn't know the difference.

Harry heard the sharp intake of breath and turned around, not to find Snape but to find Lucius Malfoy staring down at his left arm. His mark was still revealed. Malfoy was going to know for sure that he was an elemental now.

"Potter…" Lucius Malfoy began.

As he moved towards Harry, Harry moved hastily away from him, completely forgetting about the cauldron that he was supposed to be cleaning as it clattered noisily to the ground. He quickly tugged down his left sleeve to hide the mark from view. Hopefully Lucius hadn't seen the colouring or he would be finished.

Maybe he could lie? That had always worked out so well before. He couldn't say that it was a tattoo, not to Lucius Malfoy who knew of the Elementals. Perhaps he could say that it was a piece of inherited jewellery or something.

"What colour was that mark Potter?"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Lucius hadn't seen the colour of the band yet which meant that he still had time to find a way to hide the mark for good. He had discovered last night that glamour charms didn't work at all on the mark and now he had to do more research since the previous owners of elemental powers hadn't desired to hide the mark but show it off. After all it was a 'tremendous honour' to anyone who had the mark even a muggleborn.

"It wasn't a mark it was the band of my watch." He lied moving backwards to keep an eye on Malfoy.

"Don't lie to me Potter. I know what that was and so do you." Lucius hissed in irritation.

He was getting annoyed now. Lucius knew that Potter was trying to hide the fact that he was an elemental because of his past with the Dark Lord but that was about to change. He wouldn't have a say in the matter once the Dark Lord was informed of what type of elemental Potter was. Potter wouldn't be able to escape his fate to remain by the Dark Lord's side. All he had to do was discover what elemental Potter was and that would be easy once Potter had nowhere to run.

Harry was trapped now between a desk and Lucius. Somehow Malfoy had managed to back him into a corner while he was trying to keep an eye on him and now he was in danger. He shouldn't have assumed that just because Snape – where was the git? – wasn't in the room meant that others wouldn't enter either and see his mark. He really was berating himself for being a fool. Luckily though he had only seen a glance of what it was and hadn't seen any colours to identify him otherwise he would have a one-way ticket to see Voldemort.

"Potter, are you aware of what you are?"

"Get away from me Professor."

It wasn't much of an answer but still it revealed that he did indeed know what the mark was and who it connected him to. There was no way though that he was going to willingly say that he knew his life was damned as long as the mark remained. Where was Snape? Surely he heard the noise he made with the cauldron? Hopefully the professor would help him instead of Malfoy… with him pinned between a desk and Malfoy he didn't really have much of a choice.

Lucius held out his hand as if to coax a small child into moving but Harry wouldn't move an inch. There was no way that he was going anywhere with Malfoy even if it meant that he would have to use his ability to get away from him to begin with. That would ruin everything though… Merlin! Where was Snape?

"Come with me we can discuss-"

Yeah sure, go with him and then Draco would know for sure what he was and he would tell the Dark Lord. Not going to happen, not on his life. He would find a way out of this!

"Potter! Your detention is over… Lucius, this is a surprise."

Harry almost collapsed at the sight of Snape. Sure Snape was a Death Eater but he didn't know what Malfoy wanted with him since he wasn't informed by his master or Dumbledore. The Order was completely clueless on this issue and for that he was grateful for. It meant that Snape would probably send him back to his dorm while he talked with Lucius trying to figure out what was occurring between them.

Snape seemed to glare between the pair of them before making a decision at their silence.

"Potter, get in my office and do not leave it."

"Yes Professor."

Harry edged away from Lucius who was still watching him with his stormy grey eyes. Then darting around him muttered a small thank you to Snape before running out of sight. To say that Snape was shocked about the gratitude he had felt when Potter left was an understatement but he didn't allow it to show on his face. Whatever was happening between Lucius and Potter must have been huge.

Turning to his long-time friend, Snape asked, "Lucius, what do you think you were doing?"

"It is nothing you should fret about Severus. I shall see you in the morning." Lucius snapped before leaving.

Snape narrowed his eyes after his friend. There was something missing here which the Order didn't know but apparently Potter did which made him worry about the influence the mutt and the werewolf had over him. It would be dangerous to allow them to keep whatever secret Potter was harbouring especially if it included the Malfoy's. However since Lucius had already left there was only one person he could interrogate.

Locking the classroom door with a flick of his wand, Snape stalked into his office where Harry Potter was waiting for him.

"Potter you will explain what you are hiding that caught the attention of Lucius Malfoy."

Harry gulped, so much for keeping his secret. It really wasn't his day today.

* * *

**So we have yet another update. We are slowly getting back on track. Thank you all for the reviews!**

**~MidnightEmber**


	7. Be My Mentor?

**~Chapter Seven: Be my Mentor?~**

Harry really didn't know what to say. There was simply no lying to this man. Only problem was, he couldn't explain this to someone that wasn't connected to the Elementals. The only person that was allowed to say anything Elemental-related to someone not connected was Voldemort. Somehow, he doubted that Severus was on that priority list if this was anything to go by. There would only be one way to get around this problem and he didn't like it at all.

"Be my mentor?" he blurted out suddenly.

Yep, that was the best way to go about it. Just throw the idea out there and hope the man understood his ramblings. Snape was more likely to slap him with a detention and tell him to get out than actually agree to help him. Harry cringed.

Yet, Snape wasn't saying a word either way. His silence however was more cause for alarm. Silence meant the potions professor was contemplating his thoughts.

Harry knew that when Snape thought over things, he took everything into account. In this situation, everything meant three specific things. One: Lucius was behaving out of character. Two: He was acting very jumpy and cautious. Three: Whatever was between them was also the Dark Lord's secret. That combination would prove to be awfully tempting for any man.

Snape would think over every little detail that came with these specific things. He would analyse everything that could occur if he chose to agree or disagree. Nothing would be overlooked when it came to such a huge decision. He was a spy after all. He was talented in finding the little things and making sure everything fell into their correct place. The question would be whether he believed it to be a worthwhile arrangement. Would he agree to Harry's sudden request?

Both remained still as the silence stretched on. It was almost daunting the way Snape was staring at Harry through narrowed considering eyes. It caused him to shiver subconsciously. Harry just wished he would make a damned-

"Very well."

Harry blinked. What had he just heard?

"Excuse me?"

There was a twitch in Snape's eye. That couldn't be good. Perhaps he should have just remained silent. Harry cursed silently.

"I have analysed your request from every angle possible and I agree to become your… mentor." Severus replied.

Quite honestly, Severus had no idea what he was stepping into. He only had a few clues to go by and even then it wasn't really enough to know what he would be doing by agreeing to this. Yet, he had made a vow to Dumbledore to protect Lily's only child.

At first, he had only agreed to the vow because he was distraught. He'd just lost Lily to the Dark Lord. Everything he had ever cared for was now gone. So when Dumbledore offered him a reason to continue living he latched onto it especially if it linked him yet again to Lily. When he was finally able to piece himself together again, he realized that he wouldn't even be able to get close to her son.

As a spy playing both sides, he couldn't be seen actively spending time with the Boy-Who-Lived. He wouldn't be able to treat the boy fairly. He wouldn't often get to stare into those expressive eyes that once belonged to Lily. Instead, he needed to hang in the background unaware and watch the child, keep him from the danger his life was sure to attract. This year however, Severus had a feeling that wouldn't be possible.

If Harry truly was in danger with whatever he had caught himself in this year, then he would do anything to protect him… even if that meant agreeing to a request where the details were lost to him. The boy, after all, had asked him for aid. He would finally be allowed to spend some time with the child even if it were in secret and to him that meant the world.

Harry sagged in relief. His much feared potions professor had agreed to his request. No longer would he be alone in this. He would have someone, an adult, to support him. Sure, he had Luna but it was occasionally difficult to get through her unusual way of speaking. The other Gryffindor's also couldn't help him with this though they did support him. Severus was just what he needed, like Luna said.

"Umm… right, thank you." Harry began, stumbling through the words.

Severus sat down opposite Harry. It was obvious that the child had no idea what to say. Whatever was happening wasn't something tons of people knew about then. As he had feared, this was going to be much bigger than anything Harry had stumbled into previously.

"Potter, stop," Severus said firmly. "You won't be able to convey what you need properly to me if you keep spluttering. If I don't have the correct information from you, I won't be able to aid you with this as accurately as you need."

Taking a deep breath in, Harry nodded his head. He needed to remain calm so he could give Snape all the information he asked for. Trusting this man should have been easy. After all, he had saved his life on numerous occasions regardless of his own life. It was simply the thought of trusting an adult that caused him to freeze and stutter. However he needed to move past this swiftly. Lucius knew that he was an Elemental. Now more than ever he needed someone to trust.

"During the summer, odd incidences started happening around me. These were very different to the accidental magic I did as a child. Plants seemed to comfort me. They brightened in colour and remained healthy with little water. Trees kept me shaded regardless of where I was sitting. Even flowers appeared to sing to me. It wasn't too bad until vines from neighbours' gardens began stealing the Dursley's belongings when they upset me. I was freaking out since truly I had little control over these things and couldn't work out what was happening. Then I had a vision."

Severus could feel himself freeze. He really didn't like where this was going. Everything Harry was describing wasn't normal for the everyday witch or wizard. This was very powerful magic that hadn't been heard of in centuries. It definitely wasn't something you would tell the average person and now he understood why Harry had kept it a secret.

"Vold- the Dark Lord was in his throne room talking to Lucius Malfoy. They were discussing Elementals. Lucius confirmed that his son was the Air as odd incidences were happening around him as well. They spoke about the Elementals and what it would eventually mean for the Dark side. All this information just kept coming from them but I immediately knew. I was one of the Dark Lord's Elementals, his Earth Elemental to be precise. Know I just, I don't know what to do."

Harry relaxed against the chair as he finished speaking. This was only the beginning. He had so much more he could tell Severus but he was completely unsure about what he should be told. Background information was a must but there was so much more that he could speak of. He assumed Snape would simply have to ask questions because he had no idea what to say next.

To say Severus was in shock was an understatement. This was bigger than anything Harry had ever gotten into before, bigger than the Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets and dangerous Werewolves put together. Elementals had the potential to cause such catastrophe that it was unimaginable.

He had only ever heard of the Slytherin Elemental's in stories his mother had told him as a child. Yet even then they were made to be more like superheroes akin to Merlin than anything human. If the stories were accurate and not in fact legend, they would be in greater trouble than ever. That power in the hands of the Dark Lord would be even more disastrous than muggles finding their world.

"There would be four Elementals, correct?" Severus started.

Finding out what Harry knew was far more important than anything else. If he had some knowledge of the Elementals then Severus could skim over those pieces. Perhaps Harry might even correct him on something the legends told.

Harry nodded. "Yes, there are Air, Earth, Fire and Water all under one master."

"This master can't be anyone but the Dark Lord?"

The look Harry gave him confirmed that. Well at least they knew what they were up against. It would have been difficult if there was another player on the board that desired power. Playing three-way chess wouldn't have been easy for anyone especially the spy.

"That only makes it easier then." Severus said in a weak attempt to comfort Harry.

Harry merely glared. Comfort really wasn't something he cared about now. He only wanted to know if he could buy more time to keep everything quiet. Unfortunately, he had to wait until Severus had all the information he needed before they could even begin to think like that.

"What did Lucius what with you before?"

"Malfoy was more than likely attempting to aid his son. Draco was given the task of locating the other Elementals. However Lucius isn't able to help him, all he can do is give hints. Once Draco realizes however, it won't take long for them to take his information to the Dark Lord who believes that his remaining Elementals will also be here."

"Something tells me that he isn't wrong." Severus stated.

"Not entirely."

He was all for trusting Snape but there was no way that he was willing to pull Luna into all of this just yet. Harry knew that once Luna was agreeable with this situation she would probably waltz in unannounced and begin to speak riddles. Until then he would keep quiet about her position.

Severus knew that Harry was still keeping information from him. Not that he blamed the teen. Over the years he hadn't exactly been the friendliest role model. Towards Harry and all Gryffindor's he was downright nasty. Yet now he was working towards changing that. He was honestly going to stick by Harry's side regardless of where that took him.

"You mentioned that Draco was searching for the other Elementals. Is there anything besides these occurrences that Elementals can be identified with?"

Harry hesitantly held out his left wrist, revealing the black and emerald band. The fact that this band was on the same arm as the Dark Mark wasn't very settling.

"It's mentioned in the Slytherin books that all of the bands are different colours with black as a universal colour of some kind." Harry said as Severus took his arm to have a closer inspection.

The Elemental band was very similar to the Dark Mark. Severus would hardly be surprised if this wasn't the base idea for the Dark Mark. It, like the Dark Mark, was linked to their master meaning once you had it you couldn't be rid of it.

"What are the Slytherin books you mentioned?" he enquired as he continued to look over the brand.

"They are a set of books written about the Elementals by Slytherin. The seven books detail different aspects of the Elementals and all are written in Parseltongue. I guess they were designed by Slytherin for the master of the Elementals but somewhere along the way they got lost."

Severus almost faltered in his stern appearance. Relief coursed through him. If Harry had books written by Slytherin then they would have all the aid they needed. Neither would have to search through musty old tomes for a mention of the bands.

"Where are they now?"

"They're in the trunk around my neck."

Severus glanced up to finally notice the only piece of jewellery Harry had ever worn. It was small trunk and key on a silver chain. Truly, it wasn't anything remarkable. But if that held the answers they needed, they would need to find a way to make it work even if he had Harry translating the book for him.

"Is that the only copy available?"

If the Dark Lord got his hands on any of those it would be disastrous. He would have an easy to read guide to collecting his Elementals all in the shape of a little charm.

Harry nodded as he took his arm away from Severus.

"Excellent, hopefully he doesn't know as much as the books speak of then. Though, how he came about the knowledge is another question altogether."

This situation was rotten. From what Severus could tell, there was no way out. The best they could do was hide the fact that Harry was an Elemental and hope for the best for now. Obviously, the longer they kept everything a secret the better chance they had of working this out completely. However, with Lucius in on this as well it would only be difficult to keep everything quiet especially now that he had suspicions that Harry was an Elemental.

Severus glanced at the time and scowled. It was well past curfew. Harry would have to be careful to returning to Gryffindor Tower.

"We are going to start Remedial Potions." He stated.

Harry gaped at the man. His potions hadn't been that bad this year to warrant anything like that, as off topic that sentence was!

Snape glared down at him. "No, you idiotic child you won't be making potions. It will be a cover to hide what we are truly doing within that time."

Nodding, Harry stared blankly at the potions master for a while. This wasn't truly what he had expected from the man. He had expected some snarling and belittling. Something must have changed within the man to cause him to act this way. Yet whatever it was wasn't something the man was going to speak with him lightly.

"Tomorrow night you will return for your Remedial Potion lessons with whatever books and notes you have on Elementals disguised as Potions books. If others desire to attend with you, you are to inform them that this is a private lesson that only someone of your dwindling skill could handle."

Harry had the express feeling that Snape had both insulted and complimented him in the same sentence. How exactly, he wasn't positive.

"Yes sir, I'll make sure I turn up tomorrow without anyone and with everything I need."

"Indeed, you had better." He warned. "Now, be off with you."

Instantly, he realized that it was way beyond curfew and if he was going to make it back unnoticed he would have to take numerous detouring passageways to keep out of trouble. Everything would have been much simpler if only he had his cloak and map with him.

Harry groaned. He had a feeling Snape had done this on purpose. Yet as he left the dungeons he smiled. With everything that was off his chest, he felt lighter than he had in days. Someone actually cared about him and that was enough to make his spirits soar.

x-x-x-x-x

Lucius growled as he entered his rooms, the door slamming shut behind him. He had been thwarted by his friend and forced to leave during a very important moment. A Malfoy was never forced to do anything! It was completely outrageous that the half-blood had ordered forced him to do anything, friend or not. Yet he couldn't quite believe his luck.

Meeting Potter had been pure chance in that Potions classroom. He certainly hadn't expected to see him there when he went down to enquire how much a certain type of poisonous hibiscus would be worth on the Black Market. (A few, Narcissa informed him, had started to grow in the dungeons and if not harvested would continue to grow into the house.)

But when he had seen the brat cleaning the cauldrons around him, that noticeable band around the wrist had caught his attention. After seeing the band displayed so proudly on his own son's wrist, he knew the image at first glance and wouldn't confuse it for some common watch bad. It was the mark of the Elementals.

However it had been too dark to see what colour the band had been. So he had been unable to call the brat on it. Lucius had planned on sneaking up on him when Potter's back was turned but that hadn't worked too well.

He had gasped.

Why he had gone and done something as foolhardy as that, Lucius would never be able to comprehend. He was a Malfoy. They were always poised but his conscious had gotten the better of him and he had acted while simultaneously ruining his chance of stealth.

The excuses that had poured out of Potter's mouth were almost humorous now that he thought on it. Potter had done almost anything to keep his identity being revealed.

Oh, he had known that Potter wouldn't go with him willingly. He was the Brat-Who-Lived, he was a Death Eater and their master was the Dark Lord. But he needed to try. He needed to get Potter at least cornered so he could confirm what he had seen and which colour it had been.

Then Severus had entered. Lucius growled again.

He still couldn't quite believe that he had taken the boy's side and not his own. They were both Death Eaters and served under the same master. Why hadn't he allowed him the chance to see what Potter was hiding? Why had he protected the brat?

From what he could tell, Severus had no idea of what an Elemental was. The Dark Lord certainly hadn't informed him and Potter wasn't likely to either. That would give the potions professor sway over the brat something Potter wouldn't allow just anyone to have. So Severus had protected the boy for another reason. It was baffling however not the main point.

Potter was an Elemental. He needed to join their master as soon as possible so they could begin working together. With Potter on their side they would be unstoppable. The Light would be easily destroyed.

They would also have a simpler time of locating the other Elementals. What with Draco and Potter working together as a team, they would be unstoppable.

Lucius sighed. Now he needed to think of yet another way to clue Draco into this. If that wasn't a bigger problem he didn't know what was. Perhaps he should start with a glass of Firewhiskey first. Yes, then he could decide how to approach this.

x-x-x-x-x

The next few days were a little bit harried. Harry spent his days studying with his friends and completely ignoring Granger and Weasley. Thankfully, it appeared as if the pair had received the message after weeks of trying to get it across to them. They had screwed up their friendship and it just wouldn't go back in any way. Now they simply sat quietly in class, no longer bothering him though that didn't mean they didn't disrupt the class with their arguments.

At nights he would then have Remedial Potions. Every. Single. Night. This meant that any detentions were rerouted back to Snape who made him clean cauldrons before they got to work. Those nights, Harry wasn't positive he was accurate in choosing Snape as his mentor. The man was a task master.

The past few nights they had worked together, Harry had spent reading the Slytherin books. He was still only on the second volume but it had aided them greatly. Just not in the way that they had wanted.

Firstly, Snape had made Harry search the index for any way of hiding the band. The very first sentence he had come across in that section informed him that there was no possible way to hide the mark. Though he read further, that was all the information that it had given him. There was no way to hide the mark.

Severus of course simply wouldn't accept that. The nights after that had been dedicated to finding a solution to their problem.

"What do we do now, sir?" Harry asked as another experiment failed.

They had attempted everything or so it appeared. Concealing and Glamour charms were first on the agenda. Yet the magic appeared to melt away from the mark leaving no protection at all. Potions were also found ineffective as the mark ate through them. All other magical means were either worthless or illegal so that didn't help much when they were in a school that would detect such magic.

Next they had moved onto numerous muggle applications. A conjured watch burnt off, make-up fell off his skin like water. Even sweat bands smoked before exploding before them.

The pair had quickly discovered that anything purposefully placed on or over the mark just didn't remain. If Harry had worn a watch every day for the past few months, his band would have accepted it. However he hadn't worn a watch since his previous one had stopped working during his swim in the lake.

Merlin, they had even attempted to mix muggle and magic together with no results. Everything they tried simply failed. Slytherin had made these marks to last in sight and that was what they excelled at.

Severus sighed as he removed the last of his potion from the table.

"I'm certain that the only way to hide your band is by using your Hogwart's robes." He finally concluded.

"Well the book says that Draco shouldn't be able to feel any pull yet. The more Elementals that are linked to the Dark Lord, the easier it will eventually be to locate the others but until then I'm pretty safe. I'll just have to be more cautious about what I do or wear."

Severus nodded sharply. In other words, Draco would only be able to locate Harry so far by his band. As long as that was kept hidden then he should be alright. If, however, more Elementals were discovered before Harry, they would have a harder time keeping it a secret.

"I have been curious for a while now…" he trailed off, turning back to Harry.

"Yes?"

"Why do you no longer say the Dark Lord's name?" Severus enquired.

"I can't."

Raising an eyebrow for Harry to continue, he sat opposite Harry on the couches. This was something he believed had best be heard whilst seated.

"I suppose that you could liken it to the Dark Mark. When I say his name, it burns a little, nothing great or anything, but significant enough to cause a physical reaction from me. I simply tired of feeling pain because of that bastard's name." Harry explained. "I'm assuming that as he gains more Elementals, it will become harder for people with either an Elemental band or the Dark Mark to say or even hear his name spoken aloud."

Severus hummed thoughtfully. It would be very difficult to be around the Order with that particular trait building. They wouldn't be able to attend any of the meetings what with Dumbledore's stance on speaking his name constantly. It would be like participating in one of the Dark Lord's torture sessions with you as the target.

"We shall simply have to keep all other Elementals away from the Dark Lord for as long as possible."

"Speaking of which," Harry started. "What am I meant to do? I can't walk around in the warmer months with ridiculously long sleeves. As it is, I'm only just pulling it off now."

"There is nothing you can do about that. We have already established that there isn't another way of hiding this mark so you simply will have to be cautious as you previously said." Severus scowled. "What you need to focus on is your control."

The Slytherin books stated that an Elemental was able to disturb nature when their emotions were running especially high. That was entirely true. Harry's especially were hard to keep in control especially with Dumbledore and his ex-friends keeping a watch on him. Just because they had given up on rekindling their friendship didn't mean they were exactly done with him.

These books were practically a lifesaver for Harry and Severus. They had all the information they needed upon further inspection. Everything anyone needed to know about Slytherin's elementals was in these books.

The books revealed how to control their abilities, how to use them for simple things such as growing plants or harder things like controlling vines to wrap around and strangle a man. There wasn't a lot of information that Harry particularly desired to know but it was helpful. The books were a complete set that revealed everything about the elementals including books on the other elementals and what they could accomplish with their power as well.

It would have spelt trouble if someone else had located the books. If Voldemort had them they would have been doomed. Not one of them would have been able to keep their identity a secret.

Luckily, Harry had taken a trip down to the Chamber of Secrets during one of his breaks (Hogsmeade weekends were a while away yet) and spoken with Slytherin's portrait as well as gather some Basilisk parts for Severus to use. The Founder had confirmed that the books were the only set created. Everything that Voldemort knew had come straight from speaking to his portrait nothing more.

"There is just so much that my magic could affect though when I have bouts of high emotions." Harry pouted. "Whenever I get angry, objects begin to shake and if I can't get back under control, they eventually explode. In the Great Hall, I was upset and a huge crack made its way along the wall behind the Ravenclaw's."

"The plants are a huge problem though. They grow too swiftly if I have prolonged contact. That's one of the main reason my Herbology marks have been so high without me even trying and also why everything in Petunia's garden grew so well during Summer. Not to mention, vines stole my cousin's belongings whenever he riled me and deposited them in the park."

Severus nodded writing everything down. He didn't know why Harry insisted on calling his Aunt by her first name alone but assumed it had something to do with her being a prude and snobbish. When he lived around the same area as Lily and Petunia when they were little she would always bully them regardless of what they were doing. She was a jealous bitch and somehow he knew that jealousy had transferred to Lily's son. However he would only bring up the topic when he was ready to speak about his life with Lily. That wouldn't be anytime soon and definitely not until they had solved this problem.

"There is nothing that can be done to cease that. It is your instinct to heal plants and animals or so it seems. If you attempted to cease doing this you may only cause more harm to yourself." He instructed.

Harry thought back to his Care of Magical Creatures class last week. Every single animal that Hagrid bought in for the class decided they liked Harry better than anyone else regardless of whether or not they were given to another person. The creatures were drawn to him since he could also communicate with them. He couldn't speak the actual language of the animal but he understood what they were saying and they him. It was nothing like his gift of parseltongue but it was a gift all the same. He was the Earth elemental and all creatures would be naturally drawn to him.

"That doesn't make it any easier though."

"Being an Elemental especially one of the Dark Lord's isn't meant to be easy, Harry." Severus growled.

Harry simply sat in shock. His snarky Potions professor had called him by his first name. Sure they were amicable but they certainly weren't close enough for that. This was obviously a move in the right direction if Snape was speaking to him like a normal person even if it was growled. Their relationship was growing.

"Shall we continue?" Severus enquired watching Harry.

He knew that he had let Harry's first name slip. However he felt that doing so would be a step in the right direction. Eventually they would become close enough that Severus would feel comfortable enough to speak of Lily to her child. Slowly but surely they were working their way towards that goal even if Harry was unaware of it.

"Yes sir." Harry agreed smiling.

Severus returned to the notes that Harry had made while perusing the Slytherin books. They weren't written in any particular order which only made it harder to decipher. The books, written in parseltongue as they were, were only useful for two people. That was one thing that had frustrated them greatly.

The notes he had read so far only mentioned that control over the mind would aid with the control over the magic. Yet Severus was reluctant to bring this particular point up. Harry had obviously passed over it without actually making a connection to anything but Severus knew what this spoke of. For full control, Harry would need to learn Occlumency, something which Severus was hesitant to do.

He knew that Harry would have no problem with grasping the concept once explained. The only problem was that the Headmaster would pick up faster than anyone that Harry was being taught a form of Mind Arts, leading to undesired questioning. That they certainly didn't need especially now. It would only draw more attention towards them.

Unfortunately, that was the only way to learn control. Severus would need to do some thinking for this to work accurately.

"I have found mentions of a way for you to learn control however I will need time to gather everything that I need." Severus said.

Harry nodded eagerly. Anything that would teach him control was excellent.

"Excellent, I shall expect you to be here in three days time. We shall begin resume your Remedial Potions then. During this time I expect you to continue reading whenever you can spare it. The more you know the more you shall be prepared." He instructed.

Smiling, Harry agreed to do as Snape said. Obviously, something within his notes had jogged Snape's memory and given him an idea. He had no idea what Snape was planning but he was determined. When that man was determined nothing stood in his way.

Bidding the man a good night, Harry made his way back towards the Gryffindor Common Room smiling all the way yet ignorant to the grey eyes following his movement.

x-x-x-x-x

"Morning, Potter." Draco said as he entered the Great Hall.

This was no longer an unusual scene. Over the past three days, the blond had continued his ritual of greeting Harry before the entire hall. Sure the first day, everyone had been nervous as to how it would turn out. When nothing had happened and everyone had continued with their business. Just like the past few days.

Of course, this didn't make Harry and further relaxed in the Malfoy's presence. If anything he was even more nervous (not that it showed) than he was before his last meeting with Severus and he was about to be shown why.

Draco leaned in closer to him than anyone would have considered normal. Yet since no one actually cared currently about whatever their friendship was, no one noticed.

"I know what you are," he whispered in Harry's ear. "All I need is proof."

With the clues that Malfoy Senior had been giving him, Harry wasn't surprised that Draco had come to this conclusion. He'd already narrowed it down to people around or that supported him. Really it was only a matter of time before Draco pieced everything together. It just so happened that now was that time.

"Unfortunately, you won't gain any proof from me." Harry said confidently.

Draco narrowed his eyes. If that was how Harry was going to play it then he would play. He would prove that being an Elemental wasn't the end of the world, regardless of who their master was.

"You won't be able to hide forever, Potter. Sooner or later you will slip like the untrained Elemental that we are. It is in our nature to cause catastrophe. The Dark Lord is the only one with all the answers. Eventually you will have to turn to him so you can focus on learning control otherwise you might just slip when someone unwarranted will see you. You don't want that, do you?"

Harry clenched his jaw. That was the last thing that he wanted however he didn't need the Dark Lord to learn. He had the books and Snape. That was all he would ever need to keep safe.

"I'll take my chances, Malfoy." Harry insisted before turning to leave.

He wasn't going to listen to Draco any longer. The more that Slytherin spoke the more he began to believe that the Dark Lord was his only salvation. Harry knew that it was Draco attempting to use his abilities to sway his decision but Harry wouldn't let it work. He was an equal to Draco and that made it harder for them to use their abilities on each other.

This didn't stop him from worrying though. Just one slip was all it would take for Draco to pick up what he was, just one. It wasn't something that he needed right now so he had to remain focused. He needed to keep a sharp look out otherwise he would be the next Elemental in the Dark Lord's keep.

* * *

**So another chapter! Yay! It is slowly moving along and in the direction that I want. Hopefully the chapters come to me easier now than they did before. Now for another thing. This chapter shall have a clue for my competition. If you want more details than you can visit my profile.**

**Clue 3: The last letter in my name is a vowel.**

**Thank you for all the reviews.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	8. Dreaming

**~Chapter Eight: Dreaming~**

Harry was honestly sweating buckets. That morning, Hedwig had swooped in and landed before him a letter with her. He knew that the letter would be from someone he knew as Hedwig wouldn't bring him anything else. That however was what concerned him the most. As soon as he had seen who the sender was, he had booked it making an excuse to his friends about forgetting a few things he needed for the day, books being one of them. Of course since it was the weekend books really weren't an issue.

His friends, luckily enough, just assumed he wanted to be alone with his letter for a while and allowed him to leave for the Gryffindor Common Room. Yet he didn't head that way. He walked directly into the dungeons and into Severus' quarters. They were only meant to be entered upon an emergency but this counted as well. After all how was he meant to explain everything to his godfather and Remus? Harry didn't know.

The senders weren't the problem. The problem he had with the letter was all the questions they kept asking about certain things he either didn't want to speak of or had eventually gotten over. Yet they expected him to explain many things that he wanted to forget about namely his friendships. What was he meant to say as reply?

Taking out the letter, he re-read it for the fourth time that morning.

-x-

Prongslet,

Hey there Prongslet. We haven't heard from you in a while and just thought you could do with hearing from about us. Remus and I are doing well though we're both stuck in this house and aren't allowed to leave for anything. That hasn't managed to stop us though we've gone out a few evenings to bars and such to keep ourselves busy. If we hadn't we're sure to go around the bend like my mother sooner rather than later.

Now, about you, dear Prongslet, Dumbledore has brought forth several concerns to us. This is worrying us because you haven't said anything about this to us. Don't leave us out of your life Prongslet. We might not be able to be there for you all the time but we are here for you. Now onto the concerns… here's Moony.

Prongslet, just before I get into this I want you to know that even though we only were teacher and student for a year you mean a lot to me. I will always be here for you whatever you should need. Now Dumbledore has expressed concern about your relationship with Ron and Hermione.

From what I understand you no longer speak with them. It isn't good to be by yourself speaking from experience. If there is a problem between you then you should speak about it. Once it's out in the open you should be able to piece everything slowly back together. Once it's out in the open there is a chance you can fix it. But you have to initiate this. You can't leave Ron and Hermione in the dark about why you are upset with them. You'll feel better with them back in your life…

And what is this I hear about Miss Ginny? You and her? It's almost like James and Lily all over again except she's the one doing the chasing and you are resisting…

Sirius, don't steal the pen like….

Mooney! Let me speak! Trust me Prongslet when I say resisting is possibly the worst thing to do. Lily was much better off leaving Severus to join with James. They had you didn't they? You could have a bunch of little redheads!

Excuse him Prongslet, he just wants you to know that anything you choose we shall support you in. Just please, don't leave us out of the loop again. We would much prefer to hear this information from you rather than another source.

Much love,

Moony and Padfoot.

-x-

The old man had left much out about his situation from what Harry read. Those traitors knew very well why he was upset with them. Everyone knew why Harry Potter was upset with the remainder of the ex-Golden Trio. Everyone it seemed except Sirius and Remus. Yet it wasn't something he wanted terribly to clear up because that would mean opening that same old wound yet again and he was tired of it.

Then there was the thing with Ginny. Where dear Merlin had that come from? He hadn't even been aware of what Ginny thought of him and to find out like this was rather disturbing. She used to be like a sister to him and now she was just… there. What Dumbledore had told them to get that reaction, Harry wasn't entirely sure he wanted to uncover.

That wasn't even the most shocking thing that he had discovered. Severus had been at least friends with his mother. Slowly, they were beginning to know each other but there was still so much that they didn't know about each other that it was rathe embarrassing.

Harry had always thought it odd that Sirius gave Severus such a hard time. Now however it was understandable. From what he assumed they had been in the same year at Hogwarts and like every Gryffindor they found a Slytherin to despise and attacked them relentlessly. He had managed to put a stop to this some years ago much to the Slytherin's confusion but it was well worth it. Fighting between the houses had dropped significantly.

Now however he had to figure out how to reply to their message and wasn't that going to be hard enough to do without releasing vital information.

"What are you doing here Harry?"

Harry's head snapped up as Severus spoke. He hadn't even heard the man enter the room. Yet he was glad the man had shown up when he did. He needed the advice.

"I received a letter from Sirius and Remus. Dumbledore spoke to them about several things that I'd finally worked through but obviously he wasn't pleased with. He complained to them and they in turn complained to me." Harry sighed.

Severus frowned.

"What is it that the Headmaster complained about?"

"He told them of my recent split from the Golden Trio and then went on to say that Ginny had a thing for me that I was ignoring on purpose to keep her attention."

There was a note of displeasure in Harry's voice, Severus noted. Truly, he couldn't blame Harry for that. He was going through many difficult things in his life this year. Adding this on top of everything was really too much for him to handle. If Harry never asked Severus, he would have expected Harry to give in to the temptation of joining the Dark Lord already. Not a pleasant thought but one that had crossed his mind on several occasions.

"What had you planned on telling them?" Severus questioned sitting before Harry.

"Quite honestly, I have no idea. I did have the thought that I'd answer them as simply as possible and then get them to bug Dumbledore about it. That should give them all something to fret over if I'm not speaking with Sirius and Remus, if I'm no longer pouring myself out into their letters."

"It will also bring questions about who you are confiding in." Severus pointed out.

Harry nodded his head. He however didn't think it would be a huge deal. These days he kept himself surrounded by people any one of them could be his moral and emotional supporter. Little would they realize that his supporter and mentor was in fact the least likely suspect of all, something he was grateful for.

Yet that begged the question.

"Severus, were you friends with my mother?" He couldn't help himself but ask.

If he left it alone and never found out he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Besides it was better to ask than snoop around behind this man's back. His mentor would never forgive him for it.

Severus had been wondering how long it would take for Harry to piece everything together about him and his mother. It wasn't the best of circumstances but he couldn't deny it now.

"Yes Harry, your mother and I were close for a few years before James Potter came into the mix. However I'm not ready to speak further on this with you just yet. You will have to wait until I have prepared myself for this."

The emotions associated with those memories must have been difficult for him, Harry thought.

"Alright, I'll wait."

Severus gave a nod of his head in thanks, grateful that Harry understood before moving over to his desk. He had a tonne of papers to grade that needed to be done by Monday much to his discontentment. Yet he wasn't going to send Harry away because of it.

"You are more than welcome to remain here for a time until you are ready to leave. Our lesson will still be on later tonight so come prepared."

That jogged Harry's memory and left him cringing. He had meant to speak to Severus about it but then the letter had completely absorbed him. The letter hadn't been the only disturbing thing to happen to him that morning. Draco had known what he was. He had to know as there wasn't really any other way to describe what had happened between them.

Today, though the weekend, definitely was not the best day Harry had ever had and now he had to mention the warning to Severus. Definitely, not good.

"I forgot to mention," Harry started, "earlier this morning, Draco hinted that he knew I was an Elemental."

Severus twitched but didn't look away from the papers he was grading. By the look of all the red from here, the person had done poorly and Severus was displeased. Though Harry couldn't really tell if it was the paper he was angered by or the fact Draco had discovered what he was. Either way it wasn't a pleasant sign.

"How is that so?"

Harry sighed and answered. "I'm guessing that his father hinted at it and Draco doesn't have any idea which one I am since the Dark Lord hasn't claimed me."

"Hmm, so we still have time to figure out what our next move is."

"Our next move?" Harry was confused.

Severus placed his quill down, moving the graded paper away from.

"We're not to be defeated that easily Harry. We shall fight this to the very end if possible. If you fold too easily then the Dark Lord won't be challenged by you and he'll assume that you want to be there. The longer you fight the stronger that you will be when you face him for your claiming." Severus instructed.

Harry pouted. Today just wasn't going to turn out well. Now he also had to add tonight's 'lesson' to that list. Eventually he excused himself and went back to Gryffindor Tower to write Sirius and Remus their reply letter.

x-x-x-x-x

That night's lesson crept up on Harry swifter than anything else. He'd thought that the holidays always ended too soon this however had been ridiculous. It felt as if he'd never even left Severus' room to begin with. Quite honestly, it was a tad depressing to think on even with him being a major help.

"What are we doing tonight Severus?" Harry asked entering the room.

They knew that hiding the mark was no longer a possibility. With that out of the picture they really didn't have a lot left to do other than learn how to control his abilities. Harry froze, the gleam in Severus eye meant trouble for him.

"Tonight you and I are going to attempt to control your temper."

Harry didn't know what to say. How did one control their temper without psychiatric help? In fact what was Severus planning at all?

"Just my temper?" he enquired.

Severus manoeuvred him into a chair. This talk wasn't going to be very comfortable. Harry could see that tonight would be one of the most difficult things he tackled this year.

"Technically I shall be teaching you Occlumency and that will help keep control over all emotions you feel."

"Is Occlumency even legal? I haven't read it mentioned in any other school book. Why wouldn't it have been mentioned in the Slytherin books? Have you learnt it?" Harry rattled off.

Severus scowled but was quite pleased. Harry was beginning to ask questions about certain things outside of the Elemental subject. Even in Potions and other subjects, Harry had shown open curiosity though all questions were directed back through Severus in every subject. It appeared as if Harry didn't trust anyone even his other teachers.

"Occlumency is the study of defence against the mind and as such was ruled illegal by our Ministry however its practice is still taught in private." Severus explained. "The reason you wouldn't be able to find a mention of it in the Slytherin books is because it wasn't create in the era. And before you ask again yes I have learnt it which is why I shall be teaching you."

Harry accepted this. He wouldn't be able to speak of these lessons with anyone which really wasn't any different from his other late night lessons. Eventually it would come out what they were doing but until then they could continue with what they planned.

"So how do we do this?" He asked.

"To begin with you will need to learn how to wall up your emotions before we can start to test its level of efficiency."

And that had made absolutely no sense to Harry whatsoever. Wasn't there a book that he should read before even beginning this type of study? He felt like he was diving into a dark tunnel, blind and with nothing to guide him.

"How am I meant to do this with no instructions?" Harry wondered.

"The only instructions you will need will come from me. A book can only aid you so far in this topic. It can explain how others have come about learning Occlumency but everything is different to every person. Not one person has the same barrier protecting their mind and not everyone visualise a barrier."

Harry sighed. When Severus was in teacher mode it was very hard to get him to snap out of it. Thankfully, he didn't go into bat-teacher mode, something Harry began to call his personality in their everyday Potions class. Not to his face of course, he wasn't that game to test his mentor's patience.

"Alright, how do I figure out what will work best for me then?"

"Most people starting in Occlumency will automatically assume that you have to visualize a wall. It is not so. The thing you need to picture is what will most relax you. Where is the one place that you feel completely at home?" Severus enquired.

The first thought Harry has was Gryffindor Common Room and that would have been true until this year. This year he simply had too much distrust associated with that room. He was certain it wouldn't work. Where else would he feel completely safe? Anywhere at Hogwarts wouldn't do. There had been the possibility of the kitchens or even by the lake but they were tainted with too much frustrating emotion. The Dursley house wouldn't do either. The house itself had too much bad emotion attached to it to work. But…

"A garden," Harry said with confidence. "Not the Forbidden Forest or the park down the road. I would image a place all of my own, a garden that was enclosed within a glass dome. It would have creeping vines and blooming flowers, even a small river to keep everything healthy and to break it up a little. A massive tree in the centre would keep everything balanced. I would even have a small pong for algae and other underwater plants, waterlilies for one..."

"It seems you have thought a lot about this." Severus queried as Harry trailed off in thought.

Harry blushed. He knew it was the effect of the Elemental in him but that was where he felt safest, in a garden of his own and where he was able to control everything. Nothing would get him then. Not even the Dark Lord or his visions. He would be safe within his own mind.

"Do not misunderstand me, Harry. It is a very sensible idea. The glass would be your defensive protection while your plants would be the offensive protection. However you're going to have many lessons to get this completely the way you want it to."

Harry nodded eagerly. He couldn't wait until he had his own little sanctuary in his head. Perhaps after his schooling was over he could also create a similar place in real life. It would cost plenty but he had enough money from his parents as it was and nothing really substantial apart from schooling to use it on.

"Very well, what would be the first item you would want to visualize in your mindscape?"

The first thing would be his,

"The glass sphere would be the first thing I would create."

"Why is that?" Severus quizzed.

Frowning, Harry thought for a moment before the answer came to him.

"It's a strategy, right? You need to have a defence to protect yourself before you can plan an offence?"

He believed he'd read that in one of Dudley's history books or something of similar. The principle would be the same in any case. A good warrior always needed a good defence before an offence could be established otherwise he would have nothing to protect him should something attack while he was preparing his offence.

Severus agreed with him.

"Excellent, now I want you to close your eyes. The first step of this is to imagine what you want it to look like on the outside. This image shall be what a possible attacked might first see when they peer into your head."

Harry did as he was told. His eyes closed, he imagined a sphere. At first he had wanted to have his mind appear simply as a flat surface, the dome stretching up from one end. However there was a major flaw in that design. The 'roots' of his mind would have nowhere to be placed. The vines would cover him from above attacks leaving the place widest as his sanctuary. Yet the roots would have nowhere to stretch to and they would be too cramped.

A sphere however changed everything. It would have enough room for the tree tops and vines as well as the roots that grew beneath the surface. Once he had established what the sphere would appear like he gave it small details. A golden ring went around the sphere keeping the bottom and top halves attached to each other. Writing was engraved over every inch of the glass and the golden ring though only one other person would be able to translate it. The person however wouldn't be able to unravel it though.

"I have the design completed." Harry informed his mentor.

"I'll have to test it now to make sure that it is a sturdy base on which you can start planning your offensive attack and traps."

Harry gave his permission and Severus looked him in the eye.

"Legillimens."

Severus swept into his mind. Since the intrusion was permitted it wasn't the harsh stabbing that he had anticipated. Instead it was calm and welcoming. He could feel Severus in his mind strikingly and he was prepared for the slight probing at his glass sphere. The probes didn't really harm his sphere what with the writing protecting it even more from outside intrusion.

"It's good solid base for defence, Harry." Severus complimented. "The writing is a peculiar addition though. What brought that on?"

"I just wanted added protection and since it was something I created I just went with it."

Severus nodded. That he could accept. Some of the best defences created had been from impulse additions. His had several layers of tunnels and false rooms that led into traps. Only one room in his maze kept his mind's thoughts and beliefs.

An echo sounded causing them to look around for it. That wasn't meant to happen. Someone else was testing his defence! But that could only be…

"I wondered what was happening when your mind suddenly closed off from mine."

It was the Dark Lord and he was inside his mind.

"So the little Gryffindor is hiding something from everyone he loves. How delightful. There are so many secrets in this head of yours yet I can't seem to get to them. Someone's been learning illegal magic, Potter and doing a marvellous job at it as well."

Harry took a step away. It was unsettling to hear this from him of all people. He knew this was in his mind as he could still feel Severus hanging in the background. Why he wasn't aiding him was obvious. Severus didn't want to reveal himself to the Dark Lord in case he figured out what they were doing.

The Dark Lord materialized before him. Instinctively, he stepped further back and made sure that his arm was hidden with his sleeve. This situation certainly wasn't good at all. He needed to be particularly careful during this otherwise he would reveal himself.

"My, my, what a surprise, who would ever have guessed that little Potter would be able to learn some advanced magic such as this. It almost makes me curious as to what it is you're hiding from everyone surrounding you."

Whatever bravado he had left within him seemed to vanish. Secrets, he kept plenty of secrets many surrounding Voldemort. He would only have trouble keeping them away from him at this stage. Inside his sphere with the glass separating them, Harry felt secure but not protected. The sphere was only recent as well. It didn't have any experience defending from attacks.

"In fact… I believe I will help myself."

The Dark Lord hit his sphere, the entire object shook with the force making a crack appear down the middle. Harry had nothing to hold onto so he fell to the floor, scrambling back to his feet seconds later. His defence was breaking! To make matters even worse, the Dark Lord looked really annoyed that he had to break it as well. When he eventually managed to reach him, Harry was going to be in trouble.

"Push him out..." Severus whispered.

"What… how?" Harry enquired turning away from the Dark Lord.

"Push him out…"

"How do you know this?" Voldemort spat.

Harry snapped his focus to the Dark Lord suddenly shifting through the memories that had leaked. A sliver of information regarding Elementals had slipped when he had lost concentration for a second. Harry panicked.

"Get out."

"Answer me, now boy!"

Harry shook taking a step back and moving so his left arm was behind him. Voldemort recognized the action.

"Get out!"

"You, you couldn't be…"

"OUT!"

Harry's eyes snapped open to reveal Severus standing before him. His scar throbbed a small amount but he could tell that Voldemort was no longer within his mind.

"Well at least you managed to keep him out." His mentor sighed.

"Severus, what just happened?"

Severus collapsed on the couch behind him, exhausted by the emotions running through him. He'd never been that scared, horrified and persistent in all his life.

"I believe your mind was weakened when I went in for the first time. If I had left your mind alone the Dark Lord would have been kept out for a time however your mind buckled slightly when we were both inside and allowed the Dark Lord to enter. You will have to fix any little indication of a fault in your defensive sphere before you continue with your offensive. This should be done after every attack of Legillimency. However I think we should leave it at that for tonight. Fix your sphere before you sleep and everything should be fine." He instructed, rubbing his temples.

Harry nodded, sleep sounded excellent.

x-x-x-x-x

"_Soon… soon Harry Potter you will belong to me…"_

A tender hand caressed his face. It was almost… soothing. The touches were delicate as if testing to see if he were made of glass which was matched by the voice. It was smooth and seductive but familiar. He recognized it but he couldn't put a face to it. The person definitely wasn't in Gryffindor. A Gryffindor voice he would recognize. But this one was eluding him. Harry wasn't sure but it might have been someone in another house.

He was drawn to it though he wasn't sure why. He wanted to find out who it belonged to though he had a sinking feeling that it belonged to someone he didn't want to be near. The tones were soft almost snake like and soft… wait snake like? That voice was suddenly too familiar. He was positive it was him after all who else would it be?

It had to be Voldemort. His voice was taunting him, trying to get a reaction from him, to control him in any way possible. Voldemort wanted to seduce him into revealing his secret... his elemental power. There was no way that he would fall for that! He was his own person.

"_You will belong to me. What will you precious headmaster do then?"_

Images of a disappointed headmaster flashed through his mind. He knew they weren't real. They were sent to him by the Dark Lord. He knew it! But his heart still twisted at the thought of what would happen when Dumbledore eventually discovered the truth about him. What would Dumbledore do? He'd already shown that he didn't trust Harry with even the smallest of things.

Would the man turn him out and leave him to fend for himself? Or would he support him regardless of the fact that he hadn't been told to begin with? Sure he had Severus but having the Order to help would also be beneficial. It truly didn't matter however as Dumbledore didn't trust him so why should he trust the headmaster? He was the one man that dined to keep him out of the loop and yet on the tightest leash possible. Where was the righteousness in that?

"_Will he come heroically to your aid? Will he abandon you?"_

Harry knew that given the choice, Dumbledore would choose to aid him. Wouldn't he? Of course he would if only to see him defeat Voldemort. The Chosen One had to defeat the Dark Lord. He ignored the laugh that echoed through his mind from the link. Once the Dark Lord was gone he could begin to live a normal life away from everything that made him the Boy-Who-Lived. He could live with Sirius! But he had to find a way out of the elementals first. If he didn't he would never be able to kill his 'master'.

"_What will you do Harry… when the only people you can trust will be the ones that you originally despise?"_

He watched desperately as everyone turned their back on him, leaving him alone... no one by his side. His Gryffindor roommates walked away without a second thought. The teachers left him while they walked into the light that was so blinding he couldn't see them anymore. There was nothing left, only him. Alone… he had been alone before but watching as his friends walked away from him with open disgust written on his face was too much.

The caresses continued to comfort him and even though he knew who they were coming from he was reluctant to pull away. They were soothing him, keeping him safe and warm.

Then the light turned dark and people began to turn around yet they were all Slytherins, all of them supported Voldemort. Draco and Lucius were there in front with Snape. But there was a presence that seemed familiar and comforting... Harry had to try and cut this connection now before he began to believe the lies Voldemort was feeding him.

"_Who will you fight for then…. Harry?"_

Who would he fight for? He only had himself... no that was wrong! He had Severus. Severus knew what he was going through and was supporting him every step of the way. He was aiding him in any way possible. He wouldn't be left alone. Severus wouldn't allow him to be taken away. Severus supported him, cared for him. That man would always be by his side.

"_Who shall you belong to then?"_

Harry fiercely shook his head. He didn't belong to anyone especially Voldemort! He was his own person and that wouldn't change with current facts. He would not allow himself to fall and bow down to the person who killed his parents. That would just unsettle him… he would rather die first.

"_Mine…"_

An arm wrapped around his waist possessively adding to the touches. No, he thought, desperately. There was no way that he belonged to Voldemort. He didn't care what the books stated about elementals. Nothing could make him obey that sick maniac. Nothing…

"_You are __**mine**__ Harry… __**only**__ mine."_

Harry woke up panting in fear. That dream hadn't been normal of that much he was aware. Lying in his dorm room, he focused on his breathing. Thinking back he attempted to make sense of his bizarre dream without waking the others. Though he knew it wasn't exactly a dream. It was Voldemort manipulating the bond they had whether it was through his scar or the elemental mark he wasn't sure.

He hoped that this wouldn't continue every night that he was here otherwise he might just lose to the nightmares and he wasn't willing to do that especially since he only had Severus to speak with. Though the man told him he could speak with him about anything, he rather doubted that Severus would appreciate the long detailed talks of his dreams. That left him thinking everything over by himself.

The dream he'd had was different from the other visions. His visions of the Dark Lord consisted of actual places, objects and people. They weren't in first person either they always occurred in third person. Luckily for him otherwise he wouldn't be able to move if he'd been a torture victim.

No, his dream had been filled to the brim with images that weren't real and numerous things that couldn't possibly occur. They were all figments of the Dark Lord's imagination that he was sending to Harry in order to break him. Every emotion he felt was heart wrenching and dreadful. The entire situation was terribly unpleasant. Then one had to also handle the touches, constantly and all over his body. It sent chills down his spine merely thinking about it.

Perhaps he could speak with Luna, he realized. She was after all the Water Elemental. If anything, she knew the most about dreams and the message they sent because of her natural instincts to things not of this world.

Casting a tempus, he cursed silently when he realized it was only three-thirty in the morning and there was no way he was returning to sleep. Changing into his robes, he left Gryffindor Tower in search of the Fish.

x-x-x-x-x

Walking around proved to be a useless endeavour. Harry had walked through every inch of the castle that he knew. He'd even had the Marauder's Map with him. Yet Luna was nowhere to be found this early in the morning. It was rather saddening to realize he has spent two hours looking for someone who was probably asleep safely in the Ravenclaw dormitory.

Instead of returning to the Common Room, he had chosen to sit in some dusty old classroom that appeared hadn't been used in years. He had been foolish to assume that Luna would be awake for him. He didn't know what he had been thinking at the time other than he needed someone to speak with.

"I thought you would be searching for me," the airy voice echoed around the room.

It couldn't have been anyone other than Luna, Harry knew.

"Luna how could you have been so certain?"

"The Centipods told me."

Harry didn't doubt someone told her; just that it was these Centipods.

"Did they also tell you what it was I wanted to speak to you for?" he questioned.

"That they did Harry, never doubt the Centipods."

Harry watched as Luna flittered about the room stopping in odd locations before shaking her head and moving around again. It was odd but he was apathetic to it. Luna's unusual movements couldn't shake him anymore.

"The dream you received wasn't really a dream."

It was the first time she had addressed the situation at all but it didn't really give him any answers. He knew that his dream hadn't been of his own creation. It had been somewhat of an illusion created by the Dark Lord. That much he had figured out during his walk.

"The Snake Lord has become very interested in you. He will inform the Hawk of what he desires and the Hawk shall do everything it its power to achieve it. The Hawk may not reveal it to the Snake at this time but he is eager to have him join in the ranks. He feels it would be nice to have someone he can relate to like a brother. The Hawk doesn't enjoy being lonely and the Snake shall help him keep the loneliness at bay." Luna started.

Harry sighed. He knew that would have been the gist of it yet the part about Draco had startled him. Draco had always been surrounded by people mostly Crabbe and Goyle. How could he possibly feel lonely? That question in itself was ridiculous to ask. Harry knew exactly how lonely Draco was feeling. It was part of being an Elemental and an only child. The surrounding people wouldn't ever fill the void that they felt.

Harry was lucky he had Luna. Draco wasn't that blessed. It made him feel guilty that he had kept this feeling in Draco for so long. No one really deserved that. However by what Luna was saying, she knew that his suffering would end soon with Harry's acknowledgement.

"What of you Luna?"

"The Fish shall be fine for another few months. The Snake will make sure of it."

Harry smiled. Well at least one thing would turn out ok. As long as Luna would be spared this ordeal until he understood everything then he would be able to lead her. He would be able to protect her when she needed it and that was all he asked.

* * *

**You can guess where this is leading to. Mwahaha. Should be interesting to see what reaction everyone gets from the next chatper which is aready written. Thanks for all of the reviews.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	9. Arrangements

**~Chapter Nine: Arrangements~**

Luna's words eased his conscience. Knowing that he could at least protect her from the Dark Lord for some time made it easier to accept the inevitable. He couldn't hide from the Dark Lord forever. None of them could, Slytherin had made certain of that when he first bound the Elements to him.

As he walked down the corridors of Hogwarts, Harry lost himself in thought. Of everything he knew about the Elementals nothing could truly prepare him for this situation. He knew what was bound to happen during the claiming. There was some sort of precise wording that the master had to speak which included his name and precisely which Elemental he was. Without that, the master couldn't claim anyone. It also helped if the person was willing. An unwilling Elemental had more pain to deal with the Claiming than a willing.

After that there wasn't really any ceremony that had to be attended to. He was bonded with the master and there would be no way out except the death of the master. Yet for that to occur, the person targeting the master would also have to kill all four Elementals at the same time. Not an easy task and not something likely to happen ever. The best part, even though he knew this information, he couldn't hand it to someone that could actually kill them.

Bonding with other Elementals wasn't difficult either. Harry was already bonded to Luna because they knew of each other and accepted each other. Draco had accepted him but Harry hadn't accepted Draco, so that bond was only one way. It was rather confusing to be honest.

After this bonding was recognized by everyone acknowledged, there were many things Harry wouldn't be permitted to do. Anything his master forbade would be top of that list and with a master like the Dark Lord, Harry didn't know what that would be. To top it off, he would have two supervisors to keep his master's orders in check. Both Lucius and Severus would be ordered to keep an eye on them. They wouldn't be allowed to get away with anything the master would be displeased about.

The only problem he now faced with this was Severus. Sure he had made the decision to give himself in after a few minor plans were underway however, if he agreed to the Claiming Severus would also be dragged further into servitude of the Dark Lord. That was his only concern. If Severus wasn't ready for this then he would need to wait. It wasn't too much to worry about. He would have more time to set everything up that way however his deadline would need to be moved further back and that was something he didn't want. No, his deadline was going to be met he just needed Severus' agreement first and foremost. Then everything would work out fine.

That was his current destination.

Corridors began to darker the further he headed underground and into Slytherin territory. As it was early in the weekend no one would question where he was. Well they might but they couldn't send a search party out for him when he was with a professor nor could they punish him for it. That also meant that he was safe from people walking around. Everyone was sleeping in on the Saturday morning.

Even so he didn't have a lot of time to sell his proposition to Severus and for this to work he needed Severus' help. Severus was the one that would either start or end it all though he probably would never realize it. He merely hoped that Severus trusted him enough for this to work because it was nearing the day in which marked the end of the Dark Lord's rule. If his plan went smoothly soon it would mark something else entirely. Harry could only hope his plan worked out accordingly.

Harry took a confident breath in as he knocked on Severus' door. Not many knew where his quarters were located. Many simply assumed it was connected to his office off from the Potions labs. They couldn't be more incorrect.

Severus' quarters were located far away from everything though he did have a door that connected his office to his quarters. No the door to his quarters was several passageways away and beneath the grumpiest old mooches in the castle. Supposedly, the man had been a potions master of the late 17th century and made a great discovery. What that was, he wouldn't tell Harry nor would he give Harry his name. Eventually Harry had just begun to call him old man and left it at that.

"What do you want boy?"

Harry ignored the urge to flinch and merely glared at the old man whilst waiting for Severus to answer his door. He couldn't believe that word still caused reaction within him. It was weak and he hoped no one ever discovered it in the fear of having it exploited.

The door swung open revealing a very angry potions master. Harry just smiled. At least he hadn't woken the man up. Severus was always the first to wake in the morning and the last to sleep at night. How he managed it seven nights a week during the school year, Harry couldn't possibly fathom.

Regardless, Harry pushed his way passed Severus and into the living room where he could tell Severus was attempting to relax. The man himself resumed his usual position on reading. A house-elf popped in and presented a few breakfast dishes before leaving once again. Harry helped himself to a slice of buttered toast before leaning back and watching Severus. This honestly annoyed Severus unlike anything else. He was a spy so someone watching him caused him unease. However it was necessary. Harry needed to figure out it Severus was in this all the way.

"What have you managed this time?" Severus finally enquired.

Usually the only time Harry turned up to his quarters was when he was either in trouble or for a lesson. So it was only natural to assume one of these had happened once again. Too bad for Severus that it wasn't. Harry knew that the dream he had of the Dark Lord meant they were close to figuring everything out. Except Harry wanted this Claiming to happen on his terms and with his rules in play gaining him the upper hand. However there was one thing that Harry needed to do before he could present himself for Claiming and he rather doubted Severus was going to be pleased with this sudden topic.

"Severus, make an Unbreakable Vow with me."

The book Severus was holding slipped and fell to the floor.

"What?" it was snarled out.

Unbreakable Vows were obviously a sore point for Severus. Harry had known that though in what specific light was uncertain. However this needed to be done for him to have an upper hand in facing the Dark Lord.

"Please, here me out." Harry begged.

The furious look had yet to disappear from Severus' face though it did look accepting. Taking this as a sign, he ploughed forward.

"The Claiming is going to be inevitable, on that we both agree. However in undergoing this Claiming I will lose the ability to think for myself. I will only be able to obey my master and his rules. The only way around that is another bond that supersedes this. I would need something strong enough to withstand the Elemental bond."

"This is the only idea you could create? Nothing else crossed your mind."

Harry shook his head.

"Of course other scenarios crossed my mind Severus. This is an Unbreakable Vow we are talking about. Anything would be preferential to that. However everything else has faults and ways around the wording. An Unbreakable Vow is the only solid bond that can't be broken by the Claiming."

Severus snarled. He didn't like this idea at all. However an Elemental couldn't die by normal means. Could that also include the breaking of an Unbreakable Vow? Severus wouldn't even know where to begin with that logic. However if Harry survived then he would be in a tremendous amount of pain. No one broke an Unbreakable Vow and simply walked away to tell the tale without any consequences.

Then he had to add in the fact he was mixing his experiences with Harry's. Severus had already gone down this road with another. It hadn't been pleasant but he would have done anything at the time. Even now it was still in effect causing him to place Harry's life above his own. But Harry wasn't him and wouldn't fall prey to the same mistakes with him around as a reminder and to keep him in check.

He knew the most likely wording that Harry would choose for his three bonding questions. It would be foolish of him not to realize it sooner. However he didn't know if it would even work and if it did would it hold through the Claiming? Yet he had to have hope that Harry knew what he was doing. It was after all Harry that would suffer the most because of the Claiming, Severus had spent many years in service to the Dark Lord, Harry had always played on the other side.

"Who would be the bonder?" he asked reluctantly.

Harry didn't smile again knowing what asking this was doing to Severus.

"I have a friend that would be willing to do that who won't give us away to anyone."

Severus nodded. He couldn't see aid arriving in any other way.

"Very well, I agree."

It didn't take long for Luna to arrive. As usual she simply knew she was needed and walked in without actually knocking on the door to Severus' quarters. It was definitely a surprised Severus that first greeted Luna though she didn't notice. No the gleam in her eyes as she watched Harry made everything worthwhile. She knew what he was attempting and she approved. That was good enough for him.

"Are we going to get started then?" Luna asked, her dreamy voice snapping Severus out of his shock.

Casting a look at Harry, he realized that the two students actually knew each other well. He'd never seen them together. No one had ever even witnessed them speaking or walking past one another. Yet here they were before him waiting on him to get over his shock. It was rather bizarre and he wanted to ask how they knew one another but had a feeling he would be denied such knowledge.

Severus calmed as he took hold of Harry's hand. Luna held her wand loosely as her focus switched lightly between the two before her. He knew what to say. Harry had given him the three promises he was to make so Severus started.

"Do you promise to never harm an innocent?" Severus started.

"I promise."

A ribbon of magic leapt out of Luna's wand and wrapped around their hands. Harry felt it sizzle into his skin, binding hid magic, body and mind to its will.

"Do you promise to never betray those that ask for neutrality?"

"I promise."

"Do you promise to never betray your beliefs?"

"I promise."

It worked like clockwork. Each new ribbon created a magical bind within him. Each bound him to his beliefs and nothing could be done about it. Luna disappeared shortly after it was complete the knowing smile still on her face.

"You realize that this is going to anger the Dark Lord when he finds out." Severus pointed out logically.

Oh, Harry knew that was what would happen but it would be too late by then. He would either have to lock Harry away to reframe him from doing any harm to his cause however he rather doubted that when he was more useful out in the field. It was a gamble but one he was going to take. He didn't have anything else to lose.

"It'll be alright Severus. I know what I'm doing. I know the likelihood of this working and I'm willing to accept the chances. It's all I have left going for me right now."

Severus nodded. Though he didn't like it, he could do little about it. Harry wasn't going to needlessly risk his life with this; he couldn't when he was to be owned by the Dark Lord.

"May I ask a question about your promises?"

Harry nodded easily accepting a cup of tea from the house-elves. He kept the smile off his face knowing which one Severus was going to ask about.

"What was that part about not betraying neutrals? What are you planning, Harry?"

"You'll have to wait and see. Trust me Severus this is only the beginning."

x-x-x-x-x

Now that the first part of his plan had been successful Harry felt relived. Every step was giving him more confidence and less to worry over. Already a huge burden was beginning to lift from his shoulders and everything he had done or planned had been by himself. This was his success. He couldn't share it with Ron or Hermione or give them the credit. No, everything he did was his. It was such a relief to know that he didn't need to rely on them for everything. He could accomplish this without them hanging around.

Harry poured over the sheets before him. He had everything planned to the last detail. Of course certain things needed touching up but all other details looked solid. There was nothing that could currently go wrong. He had differing plans if someone chose to deviate from his plan a little. Everything had been accounted for when he had decided this was the way he would stay true to his beliefs yet support the Dark Lord in whatever he chose.

He worried however that everything to do with his next part would go pear-shaped. Within the next few years, Harry had predicted that the war between Light and Dark would completely spill onto the streets. Anyone who claimed neutrality would be a target for many reasons. They wouldn't be able to remain within the country and not be pestered by either side. So he had found somewhere he could at least protect them all should they choose to sign the parchment dictating the rules. He would need to refine the rules before the end of the year but it would be well worth it to protect his friends.

Certain adjustments had already been made regarding this but it would need major fine tuning before it was perfect. Then it would also need to have spells placed on the parchment to ensure the rules or the signup sheet couldn't be damaged. It had to be fool proof otherwise someone might slip in undetected and he couldn't have that when promising complete safety for these people.

It wasn't until lunch that he left the safety of the library. He'd chosen to spend the entire morning finalizing his plans for this Neutral Zone. Now all he needed was someone he trusted that could aid him with people interested in something like this. They wouldn't need to sign the sheet immediately. All he wanted was to inform the students and through them their families that there would be another way out in this war. Harry didn't want them choosing a side because they had to. He wanted them to choose a side because they wanted to. That was his aim.

Entering the Great Hall, Harry browsed over everyone there. For this to work he would need at least one trustworthy person in each house. Since he was starting the project and leading everything it couldn't be him. No he would need someone else from Gryffindor to guide and otherwise gain interested people. He was far too deep within everything to allow something like that cloud his judgement.

Gryffindor wasn't that difficult to digest. He had lived within its walls for quite some time and in all that time the only person people turned other than him was Neville Longbottom. Everyone in Gryffindor knew that Neville wouldn't lead them wrong. He was there and a friend to Harry Potter. Truly, for them, he could do no wrong. He was the perfect candidate for the job.

Slytherin was pretty easy as well. Blaise Zabini was always there. He remained in the background but it was obvious to everyone that he helped those neutral Slytherins in time of strife. That one was a no-brainer. The only problem would be moving to speak with him without drawing attention from the Dark Lord's Slytherins, especially Draco.

Ravenclaw was another matter entirely. He couldn't use Luna. No she would soon join his fate and no one would be willing to listen to her. Someone else must be chosen. Who, he didn't know since he didn't know any of them that well. He would need to speak with Luna about her suggestions for that position.

Hufflepuff was clueless. For all their loyalty and bravery he hadn't ever met another Hufflepuff that was quite right. Cedric had certainly been the standout for their group but other than that they all appeared to live in the background… not very useful for his plans but he needed to have one.

So with only half of his people chosen, Harry sat down and began to eat. So it would take a little longer for him to bring everything together but that was alright. It would just mean he had more time to fine-tune everything which wasn't a really big deal. If he remained calm and focused everything would be alright.

Harry easily decided that the Gryffindors would be the easiest to begin with. They would trust both Neville and him to do what was right for them. Of that Harry had no concern. He could easily sell this to them himself but he needed Neville to be there when he couldn't. With his charming smile and approachable nature, Neville, as he first assumed was going to be perfect for the job.

"Neville, will you help me with something?"

Neville turned towards Harry, shock written across his face.

"Sure Harry, anything you need."

Casting a privacy charm around them, Harry turned to him. This would be the make or break if his plan. No one could know just yet what he was planning but it needed to be started with the basics first. For that he would need a list.

"I want you to gather a list of everyone that wants to become neutral in the upcoming war."

Neville opened his mouth to question his friend further but thought better of it. Harry always had a reason for asking something. Certainly nothing he had enquired about before had been so major to everyone involved but there was always a reason. The fact that he had mentioned the 'upcoming war' meant he had information that made it certain there would be a war. What Harry knew, Neville couldn't comprehend, but he trusted his friend with his life.

"Do you want me to just make a list for people in Gryffindor?"

It was all he really needed to know for now. Harry would keep him informed.

"Yes, I'll have people from the other houses to keep everything balances and fair. All you have to do is take care of the Gryffindors."

Harry was rather thankful Neville didn't ask too many questions. It saved him time when he really needed it. The time he saved here was time he could be using to convince the other house heads he was going to choose. He certainly would need it.

"I'll do it, shouldn't be too difficult. When do you need this list?"

"Before Yule would probably be best. But anywhere during the holidays would be acceptable as well."

Neville consented to this. If Harry was thinking ahead then he had a plan and therefore a deadline to meet. If he kept in time with everything then Harry wouldn't be placed behind. He would help Harry through this as best as he knew how.

"Alright then, now all I need is to speak with the other three." Harry sighed, removing the privacy charm.

It had caused a lot of attention but he didn't care. No one would ever guess what they had spoken about. There was no reason to even assume close to what they had spoken about. All gossipers could do was spread rumours that everyone was going to know weren't correct.

Neville laughed at Harry's luck. The poor guy could never really get a break even when he was attempting to be inconspicuous. That was just the life of the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry smiled before moving off. He had other people to now target and rope into this plan.

x-x-x-x-x

Blaise was rather difficult to locate. As a Slytherin, Harry hadn't really expected him to be simple to locate. In fact he'd rather expected to be searching for the remainder of the day. It was fortunate then that the system within the Snake's den allowed Blaise to know that he was being searched for. Within the hour, Harry was standing in a small isolated room with Blaise opposite.

"What is that the Wonder-Boy wants with a snake?" he asked.

Well that reception was better than he expected. Harry nearly sighed in relief. His first thought had been a battle between the pair of them before any words were spoken. Thankfully that wasn't necessary.

"I have a proposition for you."

"And that would be hero?" Blaise asked, relaxing against a wall.

Harry didn't expect it to be very comfortable but he wasn't about to point that out to the Slytherin. He was perfectly fine with how this was heading.

"I want you to gather a list of everyone that wants to become neutral in the upcoming war."

He figured being straight out about this would be the best way to start. Any questions Blaise would have could be answered now. It was the general sentences he was planning to give everyone.

Blaise'e eyes narrowed on him.

"Why would I do that Golden Boy? As far as I know you'll sell them all out to Dumbledore."

Harry scoffed.

"If you hadn't noticed, the Headmaster and I aren't on speaking terms and neither am I or my ex-friends. This isn't about Light and Dark here. It's about finding a way out for those that don't want to be either. War is coming and it's coming fast trust me on that. I can't play for the neutrals like I want to. I'm prevented from that by issues that are beyond my control. All I can do is set everything up that I plan and protect them. Most of my friends are currently neutral and I won't let them be torn apart because of this. I want them to have a way out." Harry explained barely taking a breath.

What could he say, he was nervous. Of course he was going to rush through the explanation.

Blaise hummed thoughtfully. "What prevents you from being neutral?"

It was a simple question but with a complicated answer. Harry couldn't relay information to anyone outside of the group before it was permitted, if it was ever permitted. So he had to rely on the fact that Blaise was a Slytherin.

"Let's just say that I'm in the same boat as Draco Malfoy and two others."

Understanding dawned upon Blaise and Harry nearly celebrated. Blaise was smart enough to understand what he was speaking of since all Slytherin's were told tales as children. This 'tale' was especially fond by purebloods.

"What is stopping you from selling neutrals out to the Dark Lord then?"

"I took an oath, an Unbreakable Vow that I would never harm a neutral."

That left Blaise without a voice. He couldn't believe that this teen, the same age as him, had taken an Unbreakable Vow just to protect a group of people he was likely never to meet. It was rather startling to realize that Potter was preparing for something that was likely years in the making as well. No one had this kind of incentive.

"You should have been a Slytherin." Blaise commented.

"I very nearly was one but you have Malfoy to thank for that. Now are you in?" Harry asked all the while mentally crossing his fingers in hope.

"I'll have the list as soon as you need it."

Harry smirked.

x-x-x-x-x

The next two were rather difficult. After consulting with Luna he had decided that Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff. Both were in his year level and at least knew something about him that didn't stem from the lies in the Daily Prophet.

Mandy was harder to pin down into his plan than he had believed. She had needed facts on everything that he could give her. What was it that they were signing up for? Why was he interested in these people? Did they have to be from a single year level? It was rather annoying to be honest since it wasn't Luna. Susan was at least happy to help her fellow Hufflepuffs as long as she knew what to tell them when asked.

However in the end they were add to his list of people in command and that was all that mattered. Everything about his protection plan for the neutrals was falling nicely into place. He had people everyone asking for protection could turn to. An area was beginning to be set up for them to live and he would even have a list of family names interested by Yule. Everything was shaping up nicely.

Now he could move onto the next part of his plan and it would all go off without a hitch.

x-x-x-x-x

Monday morning Defence Against the Dark Arts, it was the one time both Malfoy's could possibly corner him into something. It was the one possible location that would provide them with the opportunity to rile him. That wouldn't be happening here. That wouldn't be happening to him. Not today, not ever. No, he had a plan and he was going to stick to it.

Neville cast him an anxious look as they waited outside. He could tell that Neville knew he was planning something yet again. He was rather equipped to sense these things though it didn't usually hep him in a great way. Harry still managed to make his plan work every single time and to such a degree that people often spoke of it for days. His latest plan, though not many knew about, would instil great reverence in the people. After all hardly anyone rallied for the Neutrals it wasn't the just thing to do.

Harry was confident that his plan would work. It wasn't very difficult to comprehend what he was planning. In fact many would actually be surprised with what he was about to do.

Professor Malfoy opened the door and allowed them to walk through the doors quietly. Many had learnt to respect (fear) their professor when punishment was concerned. Of course he only handed out punishments to those that deserved them and nothing more but they were horrendous. Last week he'd made a group of pranksters from oddly enough Hufflepuff complete the task of cleaning the entire Great Hall without magic. Everyone learnt from that. Well everyone except for Harry that was…

Every class he had with Lucius, he played their game. He spent the entire lesson attempting to rile them. However Lucius had never punished him because he was simply asking questions of the man about the subject. It was quite humorous to watch especially when Harry managed to drag Lucius into a class-wide debate.

Today however was going to be different and they both knew it.

"Today's topic we shall be covering is Werewolves."

As the topic was uttered many within the class shifted uncomfortably. Many that knew the 'relationship' between Harry and Remus cast him concerned looks. They believed that today would become yet another epic debate. Harry however was relaxed. He was going to be the perfect student. Neville realized this and turned a chuckle into a coughing fit. Boy would everyone be surprised within the next few minutes.

"Now," Lucius drawled, "Can anyone tell me about the facts of a Werewolf?"

Everyone cast glances towards Harry immediately assuming that he would raise his hand and rush into defending the Werewolves. When they realized Harry wasn't going to move, Hermione raised her hand eager to have everyone staring at her once again for answering correctly and winning them points.

"Yes Miss Granger…"

"Werewolves are known for their transformation into wolf-like creatures on the full moon. During this time they don't have control over their minds and wouldn't even know if they attacked and killed one of their own family members. The transformation is excruciating and often over time sends the human crazy."

Her answer however much to her frustration didn't garner any praise from either the professor or her peers so she remained sullenly in the background for the remainder of the class alongside Ron.

All eyes remained on Harry. However he wouldn't budge on this. He was going to keep calm even if this was the perfect topic to get him riled. It was merely a cheap attempt to raise his anger so he would slip and reveal himself. Pity that wouldn't work any longer, he had better control now that his Occlumency was progressing well. Severus often commented that he was learning at a much swifter rate than normal. He merely pointed out that he wasn't a very normal teenager.

It helped that Remus hadn't really been in his life that much. Sure he cared for the guy but he wouldn't go to any lengths to save him from something like this. It would be foolish to do such a thing and he was that person no longer. He was even hard pressed to find reasons to think of Sirius. Sure they mailed each other but that was it. Sirius and Remus weren't a major part of his life not like Severus was. They just couldn't compare. They couldn't compete with what Severus was to him.

"Mr Potter, do you not have anything to say on this matter?"

One could practically hear every person inhale sharply.

"No, Granger did a fair job of explaining."

"Except…"

"Nope that's it."

Lucius stared at him suspiciously before turning back towards the lesson. No one could really concentrate after that. They were all waiting for Harry to flip out and begin another debate yet it never came. The entire lesson Harry sat silently, attentively, never giving away his anger. So by the end of the lesson everyone within the class was tense until the bell finally wrang.

"You're all dismissed." Lucius finally said.

Harry smirked. This was it. He motioned for the other Gryffindors to go ahead. Quite a few people cast him odd looks as he stepped towards the front of the classroom with Draco following a frown on his face. This move was throwing everyone off. Even Granger and Weasley couldn't predict what he was doing, though he knew it would be known to Dumbledore that he had spoken to the Malfoy's by this afternoon.

Lucius waited until everyone had left before he turned his full attention towards Harry, a flick of his wand locking and silencing the door for privacy.

"Mr Potter, what can I do for you?"

The smirk never left Harry's face. He dropped his bag on the floor without a care. Draco came up beside him staring at him with wide eyes. No one was going to be able to predict this move.

"I believe that Dark Lord desires to speak with me."

Without another word, he rolled up his sleeve revealing the mark of the Earth Elemental on his wrist. Let the games begin…

x-x-x-x-x

Lucius knelt before his Lord, Draco by his side. This was excitable news indeed and he was thrilled to finally be speaking it. They had been waiting for the end of the day to sneak away specifically for this reason alone.

"My Lord, it's about Potter…"

Voldemort snarled, unhappy at their progress especially knowing that it could be Potter. They should have been able to bring him te boy by now. He was getting impatient with them.

"What, speak up Lucius, Draco."

"He has agreed to the claiming."

* * *

**So this is a major change from the original version. I believe it will work out much better than I had previously anticipated. Hope everyone enjoys it and thank you all for the reviews!**

**~MidnightEmber**


	10. Change

**~Chapter Ten: Change~**

The most despised person in the entire wizarding world stood before his mirror staring at the monstrosity that was reflected at him. Blood red snake eyes glared back at him from a thin pale face. There was barely any nose to see on his face at all and his lips were a thin line. His hands were spidery and looked only like bones wrapped in scaly snake skin. Hair stuck up at odd ends but still revealed his skull from the top of his head. There wasn't even enough to run a hand through.

His body was thin bordering on anorexic regardless of how much he ate or the potions that he drank. Nothing could return his once powerful body. Instead he was left with this hollow shell that had once been magnificent. This body that had once charmed people into believing whatever he desired with a slight smile and perfect school record, all of that was no longer.

Yes, he was no longer the charming, charismatic Tom Marvolo Riddle.

He no longer used his charms only fear to sway people to his side. That wasn't very good for group moral except for perhaps the people who were in Azkaban. They would love that part of him, the part that cared nothing for life only the torture and subsequent death of a person via that torture. They would revel in the tension and the screams within the room and not give a second thought to the consequences of their actions.

Those days had passed. Everything was all about to change.

Along with his elementals, he was slowly regaining that which he had lost due to his Horocrux, his sanity. Not only that but they were returning his power and his body to the magnificent form it had once been. He could feel the changes slowly come about and his excitement was stirring strongly. Sure he may not gain an exact double of what he once appeared to be like but it would still be there. It would still be better than this skin and bone suit he was currently trapped in.

It would serve a better purpose... like his elementals.

Earth, Air, Water and Fire, they would serve him better than any other. He knew that. They were created to be loyal to him and to him alone. No one else would be able to order them around. The four would only take offense if anyone forced themselves or their beliefs upon them. It rather made the Dark Lord smug at this knowledge. After all, not many could boast that they knew of four people that wouldn't fail him at any time. Not many could tell with certainty that four people wouldn't ever leave him or suddenly change sides.

Of course they retained their own beliefs and concerns but those could be easily swayed. Draco had been an example of that. He had joined willingly after being told that he wouldn't have to needlessly kill people as long as he remained by the Dark Lord's side. The Dark Lord wouldn't order them to do something they truly had no desire of doing. He couldn't afford to have tem displeased with him. It was something that would cause dissention amongst the ranks and he couldn't have that. He needed their trust and loyalty. He wouldn't be pleased to have one without the other.

Harry Potter however was another problem that he was faced with. There were far too many occurrences within his life by the Dark Lord to truly allow trust to bloom. As such, he would not be so easily swayed by small promises and compromises like Draco. Potter wouldn't be easily fooled by him after everything that had occurred between them.

Not only had the Dark Lord killed his parents but he had destroyed his 'normal' life. Potter couldn't be normal when he hadn't grown up with his parents. He couldn't be normal when he'd grown up within the muggle world and had been bought into the life. Well more like thrown, if his minions' ranting were anything to go on. By this it was fairly easy to say that Potter had been thrown into his new life suddenly and unexpectedly after living eleven years as an ordinary muggle and that was how he had liked it.

There was no way that anything of Lord Voldemort's could possibly be normal. He scoffed at the idea. But Harry Potter would still hold it against him. He couldn't wiggle his way out of that one. No it would take time and patience but providing the correct incentive he should be able to at least create a grey saviour, someone who didn't immediately balk at the idea of using dark curses to save someone's life. He knew that having a completely dark saviour wasn't possible he had spent most of his life on the light side.

Then through all this he needed to create a bond of trust and respect and help it to develop. It seemed like a long road, a long winding road filled with numerous traps and pit falls. Yet once he had Harry Potter on his side anything would be possible. He would be able to accomplish anything with the great Boy-Who-Lived aiding him. Nothing would be denied to the Dark Lord.

Certainly it would be a challenge but he was up to the task especially with said saviour spending the holidays with the Dark Sect and once his Earth Elemental was claimed Potter would have no way out…

x-x-x-x-x

Harry wasn't quite certain that this was the best idea on the planet. Actually he'd better include the universe with that. Sure everything within his plan was moving along smoothly. But had he made the correct choice?

It had taken him quite a few weeks to wrap his head around belonging to the Dark Lord. It had taken him even longer to wrap his head around the fact that he would definitely have no chance of escaping his fate. None of them did. It was just the one thing they had to deal with. They had a master, an all controlling master, and everything he wanted they would have to abide by. The only thing left to them was facing this on their own terms and striving to live by their own morals.

For Harry, that meant living as dark-free as possible. He certainly wouldn't be forced to use any dark magic nor would he be forced to torture someone. Those were his own morals codes and he wasn't going to let them slip. He could no longer live amongst the Light so he would remain on the border. The Dark Lord would simply have to live with that decision if he wanted Harry to cooperate.

All of this was only going to be enforced by the fact that he had taken an oath to help support neutrals that wanted out. As long as there was a group that desired to remain out of the fight he would aid them. Harry would give them his complete attention to keep them safe. Not everyone had to suffer like he did at the hands of two Lords fighting for dominance in a world that truly needed balance.

Yet some decisions were difficult to come to terms with even when you had believed to have accepted them. His hand shook violently as he stared at the letter. It had arrived that morning like was promised with instructions on what he would need to do.

Lucius and Draco had immediately run to the Dark Lord once he had revealed himself as he had predicted they would do. However unlike the certain loud message that he was expecting, a Howler to mock Dumbledore, he had calmly received a letter in the morning post. It certainly hadn't raised any alarms and for that he was rather grateful even knowing it was probably just a stint to appeal to him. Harry didn't care. It was quite and allowed him to continue working on his plans in secret. All he had to do know was read it.

This was easier said than done really what with his nerves. Ever since he'd gained the band his Gryffindor rashness had begun to dissipate. Sure he still had his courage but the rashness was long gone. He planned more thoroughly before leaping in to situations that could cause him and others harm. If he realized something just wouldn't be possible he turned to another direction. These occurrences were becoming more common what with the neutral planning but still it concerned him when it left him questioning whether to not to open his mail.

Eventually the neutrals would all be safe in their countries of choice. Where they would be leaving to, he didn't know. He didn't want to know either. All knowledge that was given to him would eventually be discovered by the Dark Lord. It was only a matter of time. No, most of the information was kept by the four leaders within the house. They would take care of everything for the group once they were gone. Harry couldn't promise to do that for them. He after all would be remaining right where he was.

Sucking in his breath, he opened the envelope and began reading.

-x-

_Harry…_

_You are something I never would have envisioned. I knew my Elementals would be brilliant. They would be strong, determined and connected to me. But you… I never would have imagined that you could be one of them. I believed that all of my Elementals would be children from my loyal followers. Yet I was wrong and perhaps this is the best time for me to be incorrect for I have gained something much more valuable. It is a pity that you can't be claimed through written word alone._

_No matter, I know who you are now, my little Earth Elemental, so it shan't be difficult to keep track of you should you attempt to run. I will always be able to find you regardless of where you may run._

_Considering the circumstances I can't claim you immediately as I desire to. There isn't any viable option to permit you to leave for a mere day and sneaking you out would alert the Headmaster to our new relationship. As I have been informed, there aren't any Hogsmeade weekends before the holidays so it shall have to wait until then, my Earth. You and I shall be joined through the Yule Holidays and I have a plan to ascertain this._

_You will be claimed during the Yule holidays but before Yule and the New Year. At present you will sign up to go home but have no intention of turning up to that muggle hole you are forced to label home. Lucius will be waiting for you and his son at the station. You are to travel with them from the station to their home at Malfoy Manor and wait there for me._

_You are not to contact any friends. You are not permitted to leave Malfoy Manor without an escort. You are not to upset your gracious hosts. If you do not follow these instructions I will know and you will be punished though this displeases me to do so._

_As you are still at Hogwarts for quite the time, I have ordered Draco to keep an eye on you closely. Expect him to become rather attached to your side til Yule Holidays. Of course others shall also continue to watch your every move but those names I shall keep to myself. It will be better for me if you don't know who you can trust to keep your secrets._

_You are to keep safe and not attempt anything death defying to sate your rashness. I will see you before Yule._

_Your Master,_

_The Dark Lord._

-x-

Well, Harry thought, at least that was better than he had hoped for. Now he knew what was to be planned and what he could do to get around it. Of course, truly there wasn't any getting around these orders if he wanted to keep everyone safe but there were certain ways he could move around some of them.

Take Draco for example. He was meant to keep him close and watch him. Sure Harry would allow Draco to do that but that didn't mean he had to bend to the blonde's whims. No, he would make Draco trail after him and not the other way around. He wouldn't be able to remain at Hogwarts for Yule after all that would just send the Dark Lord the message that he didn't want to become an Elemental and he was hiding something. That wouldn't be good. No he needed to really pay attention to the instructions concerning his departure and arrival and Malfoy Manor.

Then there were the people meant to follow him. He knew that many of the Slytherins were already watching him for the Dark Lord. Harry had been able to spot them out the following morning regardless of their cunning at hiding their sudden interest. No one would have been able to pick the difference but Harry had been waiting for it.

Draco was on top of the list followed by Lucius Malfoy and a couple of the seventh year students. They were who he really should be wary of as they would be the best. Then there were the other houses. They didn't have as many Dark Lord followers but they were there and they had their own techniques. Of that, they couldn't be denied.

He would be able to do this. He wasn't going into this by himself. Severus and Luna were by his side all the way. And he didn't know but Draco might be able to be at least some reprieve from the daily work that Hogwarts seemed to provide. Truly he had nothing to fret over whilst he attempted this.

Harry smiled. Everything would work out fine. All of his hard work would pay off in the end.

"Harry, what are you doing out here?"

Turning, Harry realized that Neville had followed him outside after noticing the way he had reacted to the letter. Lucius, Draco and Severus would also have seen it but wouldn't have been able to do anything about it yet.

"Just reading about the end of my world." He joked.

Neville could tell easily that Harry wasn't joking at all but he left it. The letter obviously had to do with the war and he wanted nothing to do with it. Enquiring would only drag him in further.

"Is there anything I can help with?" he asked instead.

Harry shook his head.

"You're already doing everything that you can and I'm really appreciative of that. Not many people will help me when I need them these days. They just go ahead and make these decisions for my safety on their own."

It wasn't hard to tell that Harry was speaking of Ron and Hermione. Over the past year they hadn't been exactly the best of friends or the most loyal. It only turned worse as this year began. Neville was surprised that they had lasted that long with Harry Potter. He was loyal and caring, everything that a friend should be. Yet they continued to run to Dumbledore and take his friendship for granted. It was the saddest display many of the purebloods had ever seen. If anyone thought the Weasley's were low before this disloyal behaviour only sunk them further.

"Very well, is there anything that needs to be done on my side at this time?" he wondered.

The more he achieved now the less he would need to do later down the track closer to the OWLS. Even if he were to leave then he would need to at least have his OWLS done. He wouldn't be leaving without them completed.

"No, just obtain the list and I can work everything out from there. However if you could also get them to write down where they will be the safest it would probably help a lot."

"What?"

Now he was confused. What was it exactly that Harry was planning? Where would they be going? He asked as much and Harry turned serious.

"Neville, you need to make this clear to those that sign up for this. They won't be staying in Britain throughout this war. If they remain here they will be dragged into this war regardless of their desires the Dark Lord and Dumbledore will make sure of that. The only way, and I mean the only way, for them to be safe is to leave the country even if it is only temporary."

Neville frowned. He hadn't really thought of that at the time. However it was entirely accurate. If they were to remain within Britain then they would be forced one way or another into the war. It could eventually get so bad that they might even be killed if they didn't choose a side. That couldn't be allowed to happen. Luckily they had Harry.

"How do you plan on getting them out?"

"Once they choose where it is they want to go all they really need to do is to be handed a portkey. I'll have them all made so it won't cost them a thing. They'll need to have their belongings packed and ready to leave as well. Whatever they take is what they will have. Nothing will be sent over to them if they forget it." Harry warned.

That would take quite some time for the families to collect. But it would keep them safe and that was the main thing. He would need to warn them however should they actually sign up for the Neutral party. If this was sprung on them without any warning it would do them little good.

"Alright, I'll do it. I'll also inform the others so you it doesn't seem strange that you are suddenly speaking to a whole group outside of your own 'circle'." Neville agreed.

Harry smiled. It was excellent to have Neville in on this. He helped to relieve the amount of stress that came from this self-appointed task. There wasn't a need to hide everything away and keep all facts to him until they were necessary. Neville was a huge help to him.

"Harry!"

The sound wasn't something either of them was used to. Together, they both turned to see Draco Malfoy rushing out of the Entrance Hall. His hair was slightly out of place because of the wind that was beginning to stir around them but otherwise he looked as immaculate as always.

"Harry… is he…" Neville trailed off unsure of what to say.

"He is the end of my world."

Catching on immediately, Neville stopped that line of inquisition.

"What do you want Ma- Draco?" Harry managed to say.

He needed to become accustomed to speaking the blonde's name otherwise he could be in a ton of trouble. Their master wouldn't be pleased if he didn't play nicely with the others. Merlin did that just sound wrong…

"Harry, class is going to start soon! You don't want to be late."

Potions was the first class of the day and he really wasn't looking forward to it. Draco would be practically hanging off him for as long as possible. The only good thing was that he might actually get a potion correct for a change as long as he didn't touch the ingredients. He sighed. Yep, this would be hilarious fun.

"Alright, Draco I'm coming. Neville you'd better go and gather your things or you'll be late as well."

Harry thankfully had his books with him so he didn't need to run all the way up to the Tower to get them. Paling, Neville nodded and took off. Once he was gone, Harry stood and began making his way into the dungeons. Draco clung to him. The teen was practically walking with his shoulder brushing Harry's. It was a rather open display of how their relationship had changed in the span of a few weeks possibly even days. Everyone they walked past stared openly. If Harry wasn't already used to the stares he would be cowering.

They reached the Potions classroom in record time, Severus permitting them entrance with a raised eyebrow at Harry. He couldn't currently explain anything without Draco figuring out who his mentor was. Severus had agreed that keeping him secret until the Claiming would keep everyone guessing. That way they couldn't be forced into anything they didn't want. If they believed that he had chosen someone from the Order of the Phoenix as his mentor then they would need to be careful around him and his mentor. A mentor that was already connected to the Dark Lord wouldn't get the same leniency.

Without giving him another glance, Harry walked into the room and sat at a desk confident that Draco would sit beside him and give Severus more insight. What Severus would see from this he wasn't certain but it would help him to understand. The more that Severus could understand out of this situation the better it would be for him in the end. He could at least tell Severus what he was doing and how everything was coming about. He needed another Remedial Potions lesson right now. At least then he could make sure that everything was working out well after all Severus knew the Dark better than anyone.

"Today we shall be making the potion on page 346. Since you two are early you may pair up and start work." Severus drawled.

Draco was jumping for joy and rushed to gather the ingredients. Harry sighed, thankful that he wouldn't need to make an excuse as to why he was pairing up with Draco. Severus had just created on for him by deciding to pair everyone up as they entered the room.

"What is this sudden fondness with my godson?" Severus asked, well aware that Draco couldn't hear him from their position half way across the room.

"I have a letter from the Dark Lord. You can read it tonight when I have Remedial Potions. Suffice to say that Draco is like my bodyguard until I get Claimed." Harry whispered back.

Severus nodded and moved away just before Draco returned. He looked so eager to be working with him that it was truly hard to be annoyed with him for too long. Harry knew that aside from Crabbe and Goyle, Draco didn't really have anyone and they weren't really friends more like guards that looked intimidating and nothing else. Now however Draco had him and he wasn't about to let Harry go anytime soon. Not that he was complaining. Having someone that wanted to be with him without any true reason apart from companionship was something a little different yet again.

The Gryffindors as good as they are, remain around him to keep him apart from Granger and Weasley. Sure they spoke with him were loyal and friendly but not many of them were true friendly. They didn't speak about their personal problems. They complained about others, spoke about Quidditch and helped with homework but it didn't get any further than that. With Draco it wouldn't be quite like that. They could speak about whatever they liked because they weren't keeping secrets from each other. Well Harry was but that was soon to be out in the open anyway.

"Harry you can start cutting up the root and I'll start with the cauldron."

Giving a nervous little laugh he turned to Draco.

"Could we perhaps swap positions?" he asked.

Draco blinked, curiosity spreading across his face. He was going to make Harry explain why.

"I can't touch plants even if they have been harvested. They start to grow immediately as soon as I make contact. Everything does so I try not to touch Potion ingredients or any vegetation that I brush past."

Eyes widened as he explained why he couldn't touch certain objects. Draco knew well enough that they were handicapped for lack of a better word against certain things. He found it difficult to walk along the ground. He wanted to be able to float everywhere but it wasn't allowed so he had to focus to keep himself grounded so it made sense that Harry couldn't touch plants without them obeying what his Elemental abilities wanted. With this explained he easily agreed.

They were a fair way into their potion as the remainder of their classmates began to trickle in. The Slytherins being the ones closest to the room arrived first with only a few Gryffindors here and there. Severus paired them up as they walked in the room. Some were lucky to be paired with people from their own houses others, like them, were paired with people from another house. Neville was paired with Seamus, as Harry observed, which couldn't be a good thing. Seamus was volatile with flammable objects whilst Neville just wasn't good with potions at all. They were in for one hell of a day.

Everything began well as the remainder of the students went to gather their ingredients and begin their potions. Really what could go wrong today of all days? Except perhaps everything…

"Harry, why are you working with Malfoy?" Weasley spat.

Why did the confrontations always occur during Potions? Harry couldn't help but wonder if this was a conspiracy. It certainly seemed that way and by Severus' own exasperation he was wondering the same. It was always the same when it came to those two.

"Weren't you paying attention Weasley? We were paired with whomever we walked in with. I walked in the Potion's room followed closely by Draco so he is my partner for the day." Harry explained without turning around.

He wasn't going to face the traitor that would just be something that he wasn't going to do. If they wanted to speak to him then they could do it like a normal person and ask him after class was over. Yet he and everyone else within their group knew that they were going to push it further. They always had to have the last word, the last stand to get Harry 'back'.

"Mate, come one! Can't you tell that Ferret Face over there is just warming up to you so he can get you over to their side?"

Fortunately, Draco knew when to keep information to himself so he didn't cause a huge scene or a sudden revelation over Harry's new Elemental status. They were lucky they couldn't speak about the topic to anyone outside of the Dark Lord's approval. Draco could have caused a major upset if he had done so at that particular moment. It also would have set off another chain of events that could have been disastrous for the entire group.

"I can befriend whoever I like, Weasley. You can't make that decision for me and if I want to be friendly to Draco then I will."

As it was even without the outburst of an Elemental, that was big enough. Many of the students in Slytherin were shocked not that they revealed it. The Gryffindors were shocked at the sudden decision but didn't otherwise mention anything else. They trusted Harry knew how to take care of himself without their badgering.

"Harry, you can't possibly believe that Ferret is the best person to befriend!"

It was exclaimed so loudly everyone not currently attending to their potion turned incredulously towards Weasley. The atmosphere grew tense and yet Severus sat back watching the people who were actually working. He didn't care if that foolish boy made a scene as long as it didn't hamper the other hard working students, Harry and Draco being amongst them.

Harry turned to Weasley as their potion had to sit for five minutes. He wasn't going to allow Weasley to walk all over him any longer. It just wouldn't be happening. He thought for himself and he could make the correct decisions for his life. They had no control over that.

"Leave me be Weasley. You no longer have any rights to my private life or my friends after that appalling display." Harry spoke as he looked down his nose at Weasley.

Just as Granger went to speak in his defence, Neville and Seamus' potions exploded.

A wall of potion exploded out of the cauldron in the middle of the room. It shot forth from the cauldron and appeared to fall like a wave upon the people within the room. The closer you were to the cauldron the sooner the potion touched you. Once it did, all anyone could do was scream. The potion hadn't been made correctly and instead had turned toxic and began eating away at one's skin.

Harry watched in slow motion as it came down upon them. In a split second and without his awareness, the surrounding tables began to bend and twist creating a shield around both Draco and Harry. Just in time it completed as the wave of potion crashed down upon them. As they were in the front row the only other person the shield protected was Severus. Everyone else was left to the harmful corrosive nature of the potion.

When Harry's abilities sensed no further threat, all the tables returned to their original positions leaving them potion free. The scene that surrounded them was rather dire. People were moaning in agony as their layers of skin were burnt through. Severus swiftly cast a stasis charm over them all and went to fire-call Madam Pomphrey for her help.

"Harry, that was incredible!" Draco exclaimed as he hung onto Harry's arm.

Harry merely nodded his head still in shock. He couldn't quite believe that he had done that to protect himself. It was rather unbelievable. Yet he had done it and he had shown Draco that he was someone that would prove to be a rather excellent Elemental.

"You two can leave seeing as you are unharmed. I believe that you have separate classes next however you will be excused for the day given the circumstances." Severus explained as he and Pomphrey moved into the room.

Harry however understood the hidden message. The Headmaster was required to attend to every single accident that occurred within Hogwarts grounds. He would need to be present soon and having them both around would cause questions that they wouldn't be able to answer. As it was Madam Pomphrey was already looking them up and down for any potion residue. Once she had cleared them she moved to the worst victims namely Weasley.

"I think we should leave now Draco."

"What, why would we do that?"

Harry didn't bother attempting to explain what Severus meant instead he just the one thing that would get Draco moving the swiftest.

"We can spend some time together now away from everyone else."

They were out of the room before Severus could tell them to watch their step.

* * *

**Can't believe this is moving along quite nicely. I expected my muse to have more trouble than this. Oh well. I hope you all enjoyed this! Thanks for the reviews. We're over 1000 now! I love you all.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	11. Meetings of Great Minds

**~Chapter Eleven: Meetings of Great Minds~**

Another day another Remedial Potion Lesson, Harry sighed. Truly he didn't mind these lessons. In fact he loved being able to enjoy time around Severus but he despised what they hid them under. He wasn't bad at Potions. They just didn't agree with his Elemental side… ever. Not to mention that most of his Potions class had spent the entire day within the Hospital Wing because of Weasley. It had taken Pomphrey, Severus and the Headmaster that entire time to heal them all and even then the ones closest to the mess had some scaring.

That time he had spent with Draco. All the Air Elemental wanted was to speak to Harry and speak, he certainly did. The Air Elemental seemed unable to shut up at times. He spoke and chatted and laughed all without much comment from Harry. The topics weren't even very serious either. They spoke of Quidditch and OWLS. But, Harry guessed, the topics were fairly appropriate for two people that hadn't really gotten to know each other well. The only problem was one conversation with Draco was nearly a months' worth with a regular person.

Now he was making his way down to the dungeons for his lessons with Severus. However he had a feeling they were going to become more like an interrogation after a while.

"Enter…" came the drawl as he knocked.

Upon entering, Harry discovered they would be taking the lessons in the comfort of Severus' rooms once again. That was a relief. The potions room wasn't exactly in excellent condition at the moment nor was it very comfortable. However if someone went looking for him then he really should have been in the potions room.

"I'm assuming your newly awakened friendship with my godson has everything to do with the Dark Lord."

That was a way to open a lesson. But Harry would need to answer Severus' questions to keep his mentor happy. If his mentor wasn't happy then there wouldn't be anything for Harry to learn that day. It was unfair but that was how Severus was running this relationship so Harry accepted this. He didn't really have any problems with it so far and if he did he would bring it up with Severus immediately.

"I received a letter this morning from the Dark Lord." Harry began. "It explained generally what was going to happen but otherwise he kept it all simple. Amongst these instructions, for lack of a better word, was the order that Draco was to keep an eye on me, keep me safe. So he and I will become much closer over the next month or so until Yule."

Severus frowned and held his hand out for the letter. How he knew Harry was carrying it on him, he would never ask.

As Severus read through the letter, Harry leant back and relaxed, feeling the tension run out of him. All day, he had worried that Dumbledore would attempt to locate him and Draco to ask why they hadn't been harmed in the Potions' accident. Obviously, Severus must have created a believable lie as to what occurred to keep him off their backs. Harry was very grateful to Severus for that. He didn't believe he was ready to face the Headmaster and whatever he and his Order of the Phoenix would bring. To him, that was a rather terrifying thought that he would rather leave alone.

"So you are to be watched…" Severus drawled.

Harry cringed. When one put it that way, it made him sound like a criminal.

"Something like that, yeah."

Severus sighed. Everything would become difficult with this hanging over their heads. They wouldn't be able to meet during the day or continue to be openly friendly. With too many people watching even if they were careful it would become far too dangerous. They wouldn't want their relationship to become linked in any way so soon. Yet Severus refused to return to the way they once were. He wouldn't cause Lily's son anymore pain. The only feasible time they would be able to meet was during their Remedial Potion Lessons.

"We shall have to keep our distance amongst others then. During these lessons will be the only time that we are able to relax around each other. Around others we shall be polite and distant but that is all. I won't return to belittling you once again."

Relief spread through Harry as Severus uttered those words. He'd been so concerned that Severus would return to being the biggest jerk ever around because of this and that it would eventually begin to strain on their building relationship. Thankfully that wasn't to be the case any longer. No Severus was making it clear that he regretted the amount of emotional pain he had fostered on Harry during previous years.

"That's fine. I can agree to that."

"Very well, it would also seem that we need to step up your training if you are to be Claimed in Yule. Having the peace of mind to know that he won't be able to read you will ease a lot of tension during this time."

Harry nodded. It would relieve most of his tension. Knowing that the Dark Lord wouldn't be able to enter his mind and read his every thought would be something of a gift to him. As it was, it might be difficult to do considering the Slytherin Books stated that the Dark Lord had a deep connection to his Elements. He wasn't entirely sure what that truly meant only that in some way he had a deep and meaningful connection to the Dark Lord that others could expose. That was something he desperately strove to keep secret for himself yet deep inside he could feel it was more out of loyalty towards his master.

"Then we'd best be getting started!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

Severus nodded and set his furniture up so he was sitting directly across from Harry. He knew Harry was making brilliant progress but he would always need to make sure everything was accurate before they moved to the next stage.

"Do you remember the steps we went through last time?"

Seeing Harry nod, Severus continued.

"Excellent, go through those steps again, this time around should be swifter. Once you are there I will aid you in the next step from within your mind."

Closing his eyes, Harry began to conjure the image of his sphere. He remembered every single detail from the writing across the glass to the soil beneath his feet. Nothing was missed in his mind as it began forming around him within his mind. Since his last attempt with Severus, the glass the Dark Lord had cracked had been fixed accurately. Within his mind, everything was brilliant, bright and absolutely perfect.

"Nicely done, Harry." Severus commented.

Harry opened his eyes to feel completely at ease within his mind. This was definitely the one place he was completely relaxed with everything that was happening in his lie. It was still a little barren but that was what they were here to do. They were here to completely finish his mind protection. Of course they would continue to test it to make sure it only strengthened over time but that would come later.

"The next part is simple."

Severus' voice echoed around the inside of the sphere only proving how deep their connection ran. If it had been anyone else they would have been outside of the sphere and beginning to come inside like the Dark Lord and many others.

"You need to imagine how you would like your garden to be. It doesn't need to be fantastical or brilliant. All you really need is to have a design within your mind and it will come to life as you see fit. If you want a path, it will be created. If you want a small area cleared of everything, your mind will create it. Everything you choose will happen."

Truthfully, Harry had been thinking about this part of his Occlumency for a while. He knew that he wanted the centre to be a place paved with stone and a bench seat where he could relax. Surrounding that would be a wild tangle of flowers, bushes and vines that crawled up towards the ceiling and its roots tangled the Earth below. Behind that would be a pathway where he could walk and connected to the small seating area he desired. Then finally there would be a row of very tall trees that the vines could help to tangle around from the other plantation area.

All of the plants would join around the roof of the sphere while the roots did the same below keeping a canopy of foliage to shield him even further from attack. Everything would be there to aid in his protection whilst he made everything glimmer with drops of water and spots of sunlight. His perfect garden would become more like a jungle or a rainforest than an actual garden but he didn't really care.

Harry opened his eyes to see his imagination coming to life. As he stood in the centre he watched as the foliage enclosed around him and began protecting him further against Legillemency. Since the seat was already there waiting for him, he took it marvelling in his creation. This was exactly as he had imagined though he couldn't quite name some of the plants that were around him. That he blamed on his Elemental nature. It would do anything to keep him happy and this certainly made him cheerful.

"That is rather well done Harry." Severus commented.

He couldn't even see Harry when he moved to the other side of the glass. All he managed was green and then the brown of the dirt below him. It truly was a marvellous creation and one that would work rather well. At least now Harry could have the peace of mind knowing that his secrets were safe.

"We will need to test it though."

Severus made to attack the sphere but before he could do that he sensed something shift within Harry's mind. Cursing, he disappeared into the sphere and appeared beside Harry who was still rather in awe of his work. Snapping out of it in a hurry, Harry turned questioningly towards Severus.

"I thought you were going to test my shields?"

"I won't need to."

With that one sentence alone, Harry was filled with dread. If Severus didn't need to test his shields then that meant…

Harry was on his feet in seconds. This definitely wasn't good. He really didn't want to have to face anyone today. After all he'd spent most of the day listening to Draco whine on and on. This wasn't something that he needed right now but it appeared as if he was going to get it anyway as the area outside his sphere shifted again.

"Harry… Harry… why don't you come and speak to me Harry…"

The voice caused Harry to shiver. It was downright creepy and not very calm. In fact, Voldemort sounded on the verge of one of his insane fits as Severus knew he was prone to do. This wasn't good. If Voldemort was close to one of these fits then Harry's shield might not withstand the attack. It could collapse around them, revealing them to the Dark Lord and his insanity.

"What do I do?" Harry whispered in a desperate attempt not to garner the Dark Lord's attention.

"Attempt to push him out. The sooner you start the less damage he will be able to do. If he goes into a fit before you start pushing him out there is a highly probability that your shield will not sustain."

Harry gulped. Merlin that wasn't something he'd been hoping to hear. In fact that was the last thing he ever wanted to hear. The Dark Lord within his mind and hearing his every thought wasn't a good thing especially at this time.

"Out," he said rather forcefully.

Harry felt as the Dark Lord was forced backwards quite a distance. Yet he wasn't completely expelled from his mind. While Harry sighed in frustration, the Dark Lord growled in anger. That was definitely time to get him out.

"Harry he's about to slip get him out now!"

"Out! Get Out!" Harry shouted just as the Dark Lord snarled and started forward.

The two forces pushed at each other. Harry grunted as he continued to push forward. There was no way he was allowing the Dark Lord to roam about his mind when he had just perfected it! Besides he needed to protect his mind. Too many lives currently depended on it. Until the Neutrals were safely out of Britain the Dark Lord couldn't be permitted to enter his mind.

"You will let me in!" The Dark Lord snarled again.

It wasn't a very pleasant sound and almost bordered into Parseltongue. But Harry ignored it. He wasn't going to allow the Dark Lord to enter his mind. He wouldn't give up to the man who owned him regardless of that.

"I'm a free wizard and that is how I choose to live through this!" Harry shouted.

Suddenly, the Dark Lord flew from his mind and Harry snapped back to reality. There was a stabbing pain behind his eyes and his scar had started to bleed again. That was something it hadn't done in a while. While he was cleaning the blood from his forehead, Severus went to gather two pain relieving potions. They would both need it after that assault.

"Why does that keep occurring?" Harry panted.

Severus shook his head, handing the potion to Harry. Truly, he didn't have much of an answer for Harry.

"I can only imagine that when you shift something within your mind it alerts the Dark Lord to this fact and then he comes to investigate."

Harry sighed. That certainly wasn't something he desired to hear. Yet he needed to have something checked. He needed to know what he source of this connection was otherwise he could be in danger anyway.

"Do you believe that this is because of our link through the bond or something else?"

Frowning, Severus took a hard look at Harry's scar. It had been said many times that Harry's connection to the Dark Lord was through that scar. Dumbledore himself seemed to believe that the Dark Lord transferred some of his power to Harry the night he was defeated. However he couldn't speak anything with any definite assurance for Harry simply because he didn't know.

"Without having the others to speak to I wouldn't be able to make an accurate assumption." He finally concluded.

Sighing, Harry collapsed on the sofa and didn't move. Truly, it seemed his problems only continued to grow. Every time he believed that he'd managed to clear something from his plate something else arose to take its place. The entire situation was very frustrating. Of course he hadn't even begun to think of the Claiming or what effects it would have on Severus.

Opening his eyes, he watched as his mentor went around the room checking to make sure no one had disturbed them whilst they were in their trance like states. To anyone else Severus would appear relaxed. Harry saw right through that. Severus was tense, unusually so. The way he moved and carried himself simply screamed at Harry. Occasionally he did forget that Severus would also be leaving the Light to aid him in this. He had done it of his own accord but they were still suffering from the same burden.

"What shall happen to you when he decides to Claim me?"

Severus startled. He hadn't thought Harry would think of that. In fact he had been rather content to worry over it by himself whilst Harry kept himself together. For him to simply come out and say it wasn't something he had thought Harry would ever say. However this was Lily's child and she had always been unusually astute at his moods. He'd never been able to hide anything from her… and now from her son.

"Since I have a connection to you I will be able to feel when he begins the Claiming. There will be a time where he has to wait for me the mentor to arrive so he can bind us both to him. During that time we'll have a matter of a few moments to make sure everything we plan for that time is accurate otherwise he will punish me."

"Why would he do that?" Harry exclaimed appalled.

Severus gave a small smile. It was the only indication that he gave that he knew Harry was rather appalled for his sack.

"He will be most displeased that I learnt about his Elementals from another source and then continued to keep the secret rather than return to him with the news. Loyalty to him comes before all else. The fact that I need to be loyal to you as well as him will be disregarded in this case. He will not seek to punish you because any punishment wouldn't have a direct affect. The Dark Lord instead will choose to punish me knowing that you will feel guilty because of it."

Harry looked close to tears. He hadn't really thought about that at all. He'd just been rushed so he'd gone and jumped head first into something once again. This wasn't how he had wanted it to go. This wasn't how he had wanted Severus to spend his Yule holidays.

"Do not blame yourself!" Severus said harshly. "This is not your fault. I had the chance to back down but I chose not to."

"Why, why did you choose to help me?" Harry whimpered.

Severus smiled and took Harry's chin in his hand, forcing the boy to look into his eyes. It was both a bless and a curse to be able to look into those eyes but he continued on knowing it would reassure Harry.

"I chose to help you because you are Lily's son. You are the one person I would do anything for."

"Anything?" Harry wasn't so sure about that. Many people said that and certainly didn't mean a word of it.

"I would give my life to make sure you lived to be as old as Dumbledore or even Nicholas Flamel."

Harry gave a shaky laugh. He certainly wasn't sure he wanted to live that long. After all six hundred years was a long time to be alive and a lot could change during that time especially if Severus wasn't there. Regardless of the fact he was grateful, there were some things he certainly didn't want Severus to be doing.

"I need you with me so don't go and risk your life okay? Who's going to keep me in line if you're not here? The Dark Lord certainly won't and neither will the other Elementals. I will always need my mentor Severus. That will never change."

The warmth that flowed through Severus was grand. Lily had never said anything along these lines before even if she had loved him like a brother. No, Harry would always be the one that needed him. There was no longer any need for Lily to be by his side even within his memory. He didn't need to hold onto the memories he had of her so tightly. They'd been good times while they lasted but now was the time to move forward, to move on. Severus no longer needed to live in the past.

"Begin fixing your shield tonight. It will take a while for it to completely heal after that so we'll continue deciphering the Slytherin books during tomorrow's lesson." Severus instructed, softly. "Don't get caught on the way back to your Common Room because it's late."

Harry nodded, smiling. He knew something within Severus had changed. Their relationship had also shifted in a way though he wasn't quite certain where that was headed. All he knew was they were no longer merely mentor and student. He didn't mind, he realized as he walked through the door. This new feeling may have been different but it only brought the closer together.

x-x-x-x-x

Harry soon came to realize that having Draco around him constantly limited him in ways he never thought possible. Draco was always there even when the other Gryffindors were with him. He was in the background waiting for them to leave. As soon as they did leave, Draco would latch into him and begin speaking to him like they were old friends. It was nice to have someone that close to him but it kept him separated from everyone else.

None of his Gryffindor friends approached when Draco was with him. They only came to him when he was alone and the only time that was when he was in the Common Room. Otherwise he would need to keep by their side for the entire day. As soon as they were separated they were done. But that wasn't even the worst of it.

It became more difficult to see Severus and pay attention in class. He also couldn't sneak away to see Luna. That was what annoyed him the most. How was he meant to protect her and help Severus when he couldn't get away from Draco to speak with them?

After the fifth day in a row of this torture, he decided that if he really needed to get away that he would need to sneak out after curfew and hope that Luna could find him once again. Severus he managed to see every night because of his Remedial Potions. Luna on the other hand wasn't deemed 'important' enough to allow contact with any other way.

It was on such a night that Harry found himself wandering another empty and unused corridor. It was around midnight and everyone as asleep or at least that was what the map said. He'd attempted to look for Luna before he gave up. If she appeared out of nowhere when he least expected it then she certainly wasn't going to be any easier to locate on a piece of parchment.

"It shall be Yule soon."

Harry startled and almost tripped on his Invisibility Cloak. He was invisible! How was it that she could tell he was there? Yet even though he was curious, he didn't bother asking. She would only give him a riddle that he would need to decipher and even then it wasn't positive that it would be understandable.

Removing the cloak, Harry turned towards Luna who was flipping through another copy of the Quibbler. This one wasn't being read upside down as the others usually were so he frowned. Was that part of this month's edition or something else entirely?

"Yes Luna I know." He replied.

Luna fiddled with her necklace whilst watching him with a blank expression. This wasn't unusual so Harry didn't worry. Really none should worry when Luna was in her zone. All they needed to do was accept what she had to say.

"The Fish won't have long after the Snake is Claimed."

Harry froze. Sometimes he rather cursed his luck. It was never any good just bouts of bad to worse. How was he meant to accept something like that? He'd done everything to give her plenty of time to not only adjust to her role in this war but also to accept that they really didn't have a lot of free will. This put a huge kink in his plans.

"The Snake shouldn't worry." Luna continued. "The Fish has accepted her place within the balance of nature and should instead turn his attentions towards the Scorpion who will be contacting him soon. He will be the one that needs the most help with accepting his place amongst the Dark Veil."

Well that was very instructive, Harry thought. He couldn't save Luna any longer than he could save himself. Instead they had to sacrifice themselves to give the Scorpion more time. This just kept getting better and better. He didn't even know who the Scorpion was? Yet Luna had said he would be the one to initiate the contact. Harry would just have to wait and then do all he can to make sure that whoever this person was only accepted his position when he was ready.

As it was, for Luna to give up her position of safety for the Scorpion raised many questions that Harry wasn't about to ask aloud. He was merely satisfied that the Scorpion would come to him for any answers he sought. With Luna's help they would be able to guide the Scorpion towards what he desired. That at least was a plus.

"Do you know when they'll contact me?" he asked.

Luna smiled.

"The Snake shall receive his correspondence during Yule. He'll also receive correspondence from four others. The Snake will need to keep these documents hidden otherwise the Master will punish him for deceiving him. The Snake will be locked away for many days should that occur and he won't be permitted to return to his nest."

Harry assumed that his 'nest' was Hogwarts. Should the Dark Lord find any of these letters he wouldn't be permitted to return to Hogwarts and that would immediately raise flags in the Order. He couldn't have that.

"Thank you Luna. I suppose I will see you during Yule then?"

"Of that you can be certain, Harry."

Even if Luna appeared to be light and cheerful, Harry knew that she was nervous. Anyone would be nervous when facing the Dark Lord. That was why he would need to move swiftly when he arrived. He would need to make sure Luna at least would be safe after they were Claimed.

"I think it's time you leave Harry."

Harry shot Luna a curious glance.

"The Eagle will wake within the next two hours and spend his time waiting for you outside your house's portrait. He's eager to speak with you." Luna informed him.

Cursing, Harry muttered a quick farewell before dashing away beneath his cloak. If there was one thing that could ruin his day it was going to be the lack of sleep…

x-x-x-x-x

"What have you learnt?"

Ron and Hermione cast each other a nervous glance. They knew that they were meant to be watching Harry. However this past year had been rather difficult. After their fallout Harry wanted nothing to do with them. Everything that had occurred had been because they'd listened to Dumbledore over thinking of Harry. Yet they had been accepted into the Order for doing so and that was something they'd wanted desperately.

They had simple jobs most of the time. After all, everything revolved around Harry Potter so their lives were easy until he got into danger. However they hadn't thought that taking on such a role would destroy their friendship with Harry so easily. They hadn't thought of the consequences and now they had to live with them. There was no going back from this fallout, not this time.

"Well he's recently become friends with Draco Malfoy or that is what they say." Hermione started.

"Ha! That ferret is just hanging off him. Harry doesn't enjoy any of that." Ron muttered.

Hermione cast him a glare before turning back to the Headmaster. She wasn't thrilled at doing this anymore but there wasn't anything she could do about it. A commitment had been made and if it kept Harry alive even if they were no longer friends then she would continue to do so.

"They've been seen around together quite often and though Harry does seem occasionally reluctant he does speak with Draco like any other friend he has. The other Gryffindors haven't accepted Draco into their group but that doesn't seem to truly bother either of them. Harry spends time with both groups of friends though sometimes not evenly."

Dumbledore sat back frowning. He had known that Harry was going through a change. It wasn't that difficult to see. He'd become more loyal towards his friends and expected their loyalty in return. Those that didn't show this loyalty where left behind which unfortunately meant the two people he had begun counting on to protect the boy. He was also more studious and took quite some time to do his assignments accurately.

However this sudden friendship with Draco Malfoy wasn't something he had counted on. Albus had seen the way that Draco changed when with Harry. He was lighter and friendlier towards Harry but anyone else received the cold shoulder. Lucius did nothing to interfere with this newfound friendship. In fact he rather seemed proud of it. The entire thing was throwing alarm bells up with Albus' mind because of the similarities between the two he watched and the person he once was. He couldn't watch that happen again.

"What else do you know?"

He really needed all the information he could obtain at this point. Since the beginning of the school year he had looked at Harry even once. There was a great concern that Voldemort had a greater influence over Harry than anyone knew and he didn't want to increase that chance even higher by putting Harry in his view. It would only cause Voldemort to stir and that wasn't something he wanted to put Harry through.

"Harry spends an awful amount of time in Remedial Potion lessons with Professor Snape. It wasn't bad at first but they meet every week night and Harry spends most of the evening there though he returns before curfew most nights. Occasionally he will return after curfew but he always has his cloak with him to prevent being seen by people patrolling the area." Hermione stated.

That was something he would need to speak with Severus about, Albus thought. Severus was never one to teach anyone outside his snakes. What had suddenly made Harry so special within his eyes?

"Is there nothing else you know?"

"Well we can't really get close enough to him any longer…" Ron said.

Yes, Albus already knew of their little tiff and their failure to reignite it within Harry. He'd never really thought that Harry would hold it against them for so long. However Harry wasn't like James so he couldn't really base his assumptions on what he knew James would do. This was Harry and he wasn't acting anything like James Potter.

"Continue to remain as close as you can and gather information. You are to continue to keep him from danger as well and help him when he does get into a situation that requires aid. Harry needs to live to defeat Voldemort."

Hermione and Ron nodded accepting his words with less enthusiasm than before. It wouldn't be easy to continue with their jobs but when had anything in life ever been easy for anyone?

* * *

**So another chapter and we are starting to get somewhere. Thanks for all the reviews~**

**In case you were wondering, no, this won't be a Severus/Harry story. Just because the relationship between them as changed doesn't mean that they are romantically inclined. You will find out how it had changed just obviously further down the line.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	12. End of Freedom

**~Chapter Twelve: End of Freedom~**

Severus was in a bad mood. He despised teaching more than anything in the world. None of the students at Hogwarts had the same appreciation of Potion making as him. They couldn't even begin to compare and yet he, the youngest Potions Master in the world, was forced to teach these brats day in day out. Add to that the fact that he had to constantly put up with Albus Dumbledore and the remainder of the irritating staff and he wasn't in the mood at the end of the week for anything but to put his feet up and forget the world.

Unfortunately that was never meant to be. The Headmaster had recently called him up to his office to discuss something important. What that was, Severus would never be able to decipher. The old man had a way of keeping everything important to himself until it was necessary to be known. Frustrating really considering that everything was kept from the person that needed to hear it the most. All of Dumbledore's pawns were kept in the dark and that was one thing that irritated him above all else and why he detested entering the man's office.

On second thought, bad mood didn't really cover what Severus was currently feeling. Murderous might have been closer.

He growled out the password and swept up the stairs ignoring the fact they were moving. This wasn't a time for chit chat. He was going to get this over and done with so he could collapse with a bottle of firewhiskey. It was Friday and he wasn't doing any work that night, the one night he was permitted to relax at this Merlin forsaken place and instead he was forced to endure Dumbledore's blathering. The headache was already starting.

Dumbledore looked entirely too happy at the present point in time. That was the first thing Severus noticed upon entering the room. He didn't get a chance to make any snide comments however as Dumbledore stated to speak.

"Ah, Severus, I was hoping you would turn up soon. There are many things I would like to discuss with you tonight."

That sounded foreboding. Severus sat in his usual seat and made sure he rejected the offer of tea or lemon drops. That man had the oddest taste in food and dress sense. As soon as that was over, Albus turned serious yet the mask of delight never left his face.

"I was recently informed that you have been keeping Harry late during the week for Remedial Potion lessons. I find it curious that you chose to do this of your own free will which begs the question, why did you find this necessary?"

None of the shock he was feeling appeared on his face. Severus was a spy and he would never get away alive if he allowed his emotions to dictate him. Yet he definitely wanted to permit them to run rampant. How did Albus know this? His lessons with Harry were under taken in utmost care. Hardly anyone knew of what they were doing. The one person that did, Miss Lovegood, no one would ever believe if she spoke the truth anyway. Where had Albus received this information?

"Who told you of our lessons?" he questioned.

The answer came too quickly to be of any truth.

"Why, Harry of course."

Severus knew instantly that Albus was lying. Slowly, he relaxed all of his muscles. The Headmaster knew nothing; he was merely fishing for information when his source didn't give him what he desired. Their secret was safe from the Headmaster for now and Severus would make sure it remained that way for as long as possible.

"I understand," Severus commented, "that Potter desires to be an Auror, correct?"

He knew that was absolute rubbish. Harry didn't want anything to do with the Ministry most of all becoming an Auror but it was the story they were currently going with and he wouldn't deviated from it.

Albus' nodded, motioning for him to continue obviously believing what he was speaking of to be truth.

"Potter is currently failing Potions. Without an Outstanding, he will not be permitted to enter NEWT Potions and I shan't make exceptions just because he's Potter. It is my hope that I shall be able to cram some intelligence into his brain before he undertakes his OWLS. Maybe then he won't have to scrounge around and look for another way in." Severus sneered.

It was a fair enough thing to do but something entirely out of character for Severus. Albus knew that this wasn't something likely to have occurred through Severus' prompting. Severus made sure that everyone within his OWL classes knew that if they received anything below Outstanding then they would never make it into his class. They received one shot at NEWT level Potions and nothing more.

Harry must have asked Severus for this. What Albus wanted to know was why. He didn't know the reason as to why Harry had suddenly pushed forward in his studies especially Potions. Unfortunately, he had already said that Harry had told him some of the details. It wasn't likely he would get any more details out of Severus because of this. After all going back on what one said was a sure way to tell when they were lying and Severus would know this right away. Instead he pushed forward.

"How is Harry handling the Remedial classes?"

Perhaps if Severus wasn't living up to Harry's expectations and desires then he could bully him into accepting help from Miss Granger and begin to repair their friendship.

Severus sneered, knowing what the Headmaster was planning. He wouldn't allow Harry to be pushed around like a pawn by this man. They already had enough of their plate without the Headmaster adding to it.

"Remarkably, he is doing rather well." He began, sounding reluctant in his admittance. "Potter does better without the pressure of a class around him. In a way he is rather like his mother in that regard."

That sentence alone solidified their time together. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to drive Harry away with words and he wouldn't be able to make Severus hand over his teaching to someone else. After all if Harry was excelling in his Potions studies he wouldn't want to leave and if Severus found a connection in the boy to Lily then he wouldn't give up. It was rather brilliant.

Just as he thought a glimpse of displeasure flashed across Albus' face. It was covered swiftly but not quick enough and they both knew it.

"I see. That is excellent news then. I'm glad that Harry has begun to place so much effort into his studies."

Albus didn't know how he was going to turn any of this around. He couldn't forbid Severus from teaching Harry without it sounding suspicious. Too many questions would then be posed and he didn't have the answers for them. All he could really do was allow this to continue and hope that it worked into his future plans. If it didn't, he wasn't sure how he would turn everything around.

"Is that all, headmaster?" Severus asked.

He was really impatient to get away from this man. Plans flowed through his head a million miles an hour and none of them were any ever 'good' for the one it belonged to.

"There was one more thing…" Dumbledore started.

Severus already had a sinking feeling about this.

"I want you to find out why Harry had started to become rather friendly with Draco Malfoy. His sudden change in friends leaves much to be desired and I feel that there is something behind it. I'm sure that once Harry fixes this problem then he will happily return to his true friends."

It was rather obvious that the old man meant Granger and Weasley and not merely the other Gryffindors. Severus wasn't entirely positive what the Headmaster was attempting to pursue here but he was certain that it couldn't be anything good. There was a perfectly logical reason as to why Harry had left Granger and Weasley. Also he knew that Draco was being openly friendly to Harry because of the Dark Lord's orders. He knew that none of that was to be changed any time soon. Dumbledore would just have to learn to accept that.

"Headmaster, if you believe that I will speak to Potter about… sentimental affections then you are sorely mistaken. I am only going to teach him Potions. I refuse to also accept the role of his physiatrist." Severus said with his standard snarl.

The snarled response appeared to bring the old man back to his senses.

"Of course Severus, perhaps I can get him to speak to me himself."

It was rather a lame excuse. Harry would never speak to Dumbledore about any of this however Severus knew he had to try something. He was after all slowly losing a number of people to their free will. Dumbledore couldn't possibly allow that to happen.

"Please do however make sure that these talks don't interfere with his school work. I will not permit him to speak with you if you have ordered him up here in the time I'm attempting to teach that boy."

Severus knew that he may have been pushing it. No one really ordered the Headmaster around. However it was a necessity. He needed to see how far he could push the old man until he put his foot down. Did the man have a point at which he just said no? Did he care?

Dumbledore frowned but Severus had a feeling that this wasn't going anywhere. No, he knew that the Headmaster was going to agree if only to keep the peace. There wasn't anything more important to the Lord of Light than keeping the peace between people within his own congregation; that and the fact he remain leader and all powerful in everyone's eyes.

"Of course, nothing shall interrupt your time spent with young Harry. He does need Potions to become an Auror and with your help I'm certain he'll be able to do so." Dumbledore said smiling.

Keeping the scowl inward, Severus gave a calm nod before taking his leave. Dumbledore may have given them leave to do as they wished during Potions but they would be more closely watched from now. Everything they did would need to be kept highly secretive for their own sakes.

x-x-x-x-x

The sun was warm on his face. They were by the lake and nothing could have been more perfect. Harry was actually thankful that it was a weekend. There was absolutely nothing to worry about. Sure he could have been doing homework like every good little Ravenclaw but he'd let it go. Who would waste such a brilliant Saturday doing homework? It certainly wasn't Harry Potter.

Though he was amongst brilliant scenery the company could have been better. No Gryffindor would near him when Draco was sitting beside him. Truthfully it wasn't bad. Draco was much better company than some of the other idiots residing within the castle however he would have liked to merely spend one day where he wasn't being hounded by a Death Eater or Elemental or someone associated with the Dark Lord. It was just too much for him to handle.

Wasn't it bad enough that he would soon be forced into loyal servitude? Nope he needed to be surrounded by people for his own protection. Harry didn't believe a word of it. The Dark Lord just wanted to make sure he would never think of running. It wasn't like he had a choice in that. However if he had to choose then Draco wasn't that bad.

"You're awfully relaxed out here, Harry." Draco commented.

Harry was tempted to just give a hum in agreement and allow Draco to continue rambling on like he usually did. Yet there was something within him that just wanted to speak out more. He yearned to speak with someone freely and other than Luna or Severus, Draco was the only person he had that with.

"Draco, I'm the Earth, this is where I am the most at peace just as you are the happiest when you're flying around on your broom or on a particularly windy day."

Slowly, they were beginning to understand each other. It was happening slowly but it was definitely there. There were moments when they slipped back into their past selves and simply couldn't help but argue with each other. Those moments were few and far between however. Their relationship was slowly patching itself just as swiftly as the relationship with Hermione and Ron had fallen apart.

"Indeed, though I still can't figure out why I can't win against you in Quidditch. I thought my being the Air Elemental would give me an advantage but it didn't help at all." Draco pouted.

Harry snickered. The last match had been epic according to everyone. It had gone for six hours. None had ever been so long at Hogwarts and it was filled with ups and downs for both sides.

"Draco you were more concentrated on the air than the snitch and then when we did spot the snitch you moved the air currents so neither of us could reach it."

Draco refused to blush though there was truth behind it. He'd just wanted to spend as much time with Harry as possible in the air. He'd received his desire but Harry had still won the game in the end. Draco just couldn't concentrate properly when in flight.

"At least I don't go around healing plants in Potions."

Harry turned ad playfully scowled. He despised when that happened. Most of the work he had to leave up to Draco now because of it. Herbology was a class he would never fail in however something he was absolutely stoked about. Surprisingly many doors opened to him if he continued with Herbology. It wasn't something he was willing to drop now.

Yet even so it was a problem. His power was so great even with his slight control that the grass surrounding Hogwarts was greener. Everything plant in the vicinity was a bright and healthy green. The Merpeople in the lake were very thankful for it as their seaweed had begun to die off. Harry didn't really care for their thanks however since the attack in fourth year. The scar still remained a glaring testimony to that.

"I think it's a miracle that Professor Snape hasn't completely snapped at me yet."

Draco snickered into his hand as Harry spoke. It had been rather difficult to keep Severus from snapping at him. They both knew that it couldn't be helped but that left Harry with very little that he could do. Draco did most of the work, Harry merely stirred. However it gave them excellent marks in the end so neither was complaining.

"Speaking of Professors, I heard that you were forced to speak with Professor Dumbledore the other day."

Harry twitched. That hadn't been a pleasant conversation. The man had attempted to be sneaky but Harry had known what was coming when he'd had his lessons with Severus. Truly there was nothing that would catch him out. Everything had been discussed between them and Harry had immediately known that Dumbledore had been talking with Granger and Weasley. It was frustrating but there was nothing he could do about that. He merely had to live with knowing that they would never listen to anyone other than Dumbledore.

Besides he had Draco and a number of other people now. Traitors weren't anything to be thought over especially them. Harry wouldn't even be able to worry about them at the moment. He had other things on his plate to deal with.

"He did but the questions he was asking weren't ones I was able to answer." Harry responded.

Draco cast Harry a curious glance. There weren't many topics that couldn't be spoken with the Headmaster. Harry sensing Draco was going to be a bit airheaded on the topic explained further.

"He enquired as to why I decide to spend time with people other than my 'friends' precisely you."

A snort was his only reply. It was rather ridiculous. The old man was questioning him on a change of friends. He truly had no idea of the grand picture here and that was only good news for the Dark Lord.

"Everyone says he's something amazing because of his defeat of Grindelwald but I really don't see it." Harry commented.

"There is little wonder there." Draco replied. "He merely disarmed the man. There was no great defeat like is often publicised. After that Dumbledore had him shipped off to Numergard and no one has spoken of it since."

Harry could only stare in belief. The great Albus Dumbledore had only disarmed the previous Dark Lord? That was hilarious.

"Who knows of this?"

"Only the people that were there at the time know of this. They were forced to take an oath never to speak of it again however one of them wrote it down on his deathbed and left it for his son to read. It slowly circulated through the Dark ranks. Anyone who didn't side with the Dark would never know of this even if they were only neutral."

That would explain so many things that Harry had yet to understand. The Light was highly biased. Of that he was certain. They didn't enjoy other people believing in something that they didn't approve of. Just like the Blood Wards around his 'home'. The only reason they were allowed to remain was because his mother, a light witch, had cast them in defence.

"Draco, I-"

"Harry!"

The name actually caused both of them to cringe. It was said in an annoying tone that gave him no chance to just push away. The demand in it was really overpowering though that didn't mean a thing to them. They only had one master and it certainly wasn't Hermione Granger or Ronald Weasley.

"Hey mate! I saw that you sighed up to go home. I didn't realize that Dumbledore had allowed you to go to… you know…"

It was said with the standard glare at Draco. Obviously they couldn't speak about the Order with a possible Death Eater in their midst. Little did they realize that they were only granting him insights into their meetings with Dumbledore. He would eventually be able to use that against them.

"Dumbledore hasn't permitted me to go anywhere. It is my choice as to where I spend my holidays." Harry retorted.

He wasn't going to say any more than that. They didn't have the right to know.

Unfortunately, Granger and Weasley persisted.

"But I thought… where will you be spending your holidays then?" Granger enquired.

"With friends," Draco growled.

Harry allowed Draco to pull him close. He knew quite well that though Draco didn't mind the other Gryffindors around Harry these two however threatened him. Why this was, Harry couldn't quite understand but he wasn't going to upset Draco. They were the ones that were no longer welcome in his life.

Granger and Weasley obviously couldn't work out instantly who that would be. Harry felt it obvious considering how Draco was the one to answer. They however couldn't get it something Harry was eternally grateful for.

"But you aren't spending it with us…" Weasley had always been slow.

"No Weasley I'm not spending my holidays with you. I'll be with friends that I can actually count on."

It was a low blow but it appeared to drive the message home. He wasn't going to be spending his holidays anywhere near the Weasley brood, Grimmauld Place or the Dursley's.

"Ok, mate we'll just be leaving then…"

It took them forever to slowly wander off. Harry thought they were attempting to catch anything from their conversation and only hoped that they had been too far away to hear anything about Dumbledore in their previous conversation.

"Well that went rather well." Draco commented when they were out of earshot.

"Only for now, eventually they will figure it out and then the Light will come bearing down upon us."

"Oh, I don't think so. We have father to protect us inside the castle and the Dark Lord to protect us outside of it. There will be nothing to fear once you have joined us officially. Everything will be perfect."

Harry wasn't entirely certain of that. If anything, he had the feeling it was all about to get a hundred times more complicated.

x-x-x-x-x

Harry was quite honestly dreading this day. None of his preparations with Severus could calm his nerves not even the deep breathing. He knew the plan well. They'd gone over it frequently to make certain that even Harry, as scatterbrained as he was, couldn't mess it up. That wasn't what terrified him however. If there was one thing that terrified him it was the thought of facing the Dark Lord and giving up everything he had been raised to believe.

Everyone had placed him on a pedestal since his defeat of the Dark Lord. They all believed that he was going to be the one to defeat him once again or at least those that knew of his return. Dumbledore of course didn't help with any of that, if anything he just pushed Harry further into hero-dom. That little dream the Light had was never going to happen now and he would have to watch them all fall to the Dark.

"Are you ready to go Harry?" Draco asked grabbing onto his sleeve.

Harry took a deep breath and nodded as Draco began to pull him towards Lucius. They had just watched the Hogwarts Express depart the station with many students on board. Granger and Weasley had watched him with eager eyes in an attempt to determine who he was going with. Once they realized Draco was that person they couldn't protest as the train began to move. By the time they handed their observations over to the Order he would be sequestered away in Malfoy Manor.

As they approached, Harry could feel rather than see Lucius Malfoy's smirk at his discomfort. He enjoyed Draco's company but he still felt awkward when Draco clung to him. In the few weeks that Draco had been around him it had become almost second nature for the Air Elemental to cling to him.

The occurrences hadn't been a problem until Draco had literally dragged him to the Slytherin table one morning. The entire Hall had grown silent. Draco had been too focused on Harry to care about anyone else and Harry had been too busy sinking into the floor to realize the glares they were receiving. When Draco did that every day after that incident just to keep him close the Slytherins naturally accepted him into the fold, of course it helped that Draco didn't care about anyone's opinion and the Slytherins were terrified of getting on his bad side.

"Are you ready to depart Mr Potter?" Lucius questioned bringing Harry out of his thoughts.

Harry nodded stiffly before allowing Draco to draw him towards Hogsmeade. They were going to floo from the Three Broomstocks to Malfoy Manor so he could settle in. However Harry knew the likelihood of him remaining at Malfoy Manor for the entire holidays was slim to none. The Dark Lord wouldn't allow it. Not since he'd been discovered.

"Take a deep breath Harry." Draco instructed as they made a beeline for the floo.

Harry knowing it would also be better to close his eyes to avoid the spinning did so. Draco was taking him merely because only those of Malfoy blood and their spouses could easily enter or exit the Manor at any time. That meant no escape for him without a bit of sorcery. However Harry doubted he'd be able to get away with it even if he wanted to.

Draco made sure that Harry didn't trip as they left the floo.

"What now?" Harry questioned as Lucius exited the floor after them.

"What do you mean Mr Potter?" Lucius asked as he called a house elf to take their belongings away.

They had everything shrunk but that didn't mean a Malfoy was going to willingly keep their luggage with them. If it could be done by a house elf the Malfoy's refused to do it.

"When are you going to hand me over to the Dark Lord?" Harry questioned bluntly.

"Mr Potter what gave you the idea that we were going to hand you directly over to the Dark Lord when we arrived at the manor?"

Harry just gave Lucius a piercing look that explained it all. Of course that's what he expected! There really wasn't anything else he could have thought when in the presence of Death Eaters – excluding Severus of course. The Dark Lord's band of hateful followers tended to desire him either dead or kidnapped to be brought before their master. It was a simple case. They didn't really bother with him otherwise.

"Do not worry Mr Potter, you will be seeing your master at Christmas and will remain with him for five days. Before that however you will have the privilege of our glorious company. Now I shall leave Draco to show you around our home."

Harry sighed as a look of glee crossed Draco's face. This was going to be a long holiday.

x-x-x-x-x

Luna hummed to herself as she wandered around in the snow outside her house. It was fairly cold but that didn't matter to her. She felt alive as she always did when in situations others would find unbearable. However there was one situation she couldn't quite come to term with.

Without glancing at it, she allowed her fingers to graze against the Celtic band on her left wrist. In her life she had always known that she would become close to Harry Potter. How she hadn't quite understood but she had known that their friendship would begin.

The first few years had been difficult. Luna had been an outcast in Ravenclaw because of her beliefs and views on the world. Her only friend had been Ginny Weasley and that had been a stepping point in the direction she wanted to go. Ron Weasley was Ginny's older brother and best friends with Harry Potter. Quite honestly she wasn't entirely sure why Ginny had befriended her but she couldn't care.

Of course everything had changed the past summer as the band had shown up. Knowing what it was and doing something about it were entirely different things. Eventually she had put together a plan that would lead her in the direction that she wanted to go in. As the Water Elemental and a Seer she could manipulate time to her advantage and now everything was coming together.

Harry was her friend. They were going to be claimed and be part of something big though they were still reluctant. Their place within this war had already been decided. They had no choice except for how they handled everything sent their way. Come the start of school the tides would have changed.

* * *

**So anyone excited for the next chapter now? Mwahaha. Also has anyone watched the Avengers? It's awesome. Especially Loki and now I have a Harry Potter/Avengers fic starting in my mind. Thanks for the reviews.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	13. Meeting the Master

**~Chapter Thirteen: Meeting the Master~**

Harry's time spent 'relaxing' at Malfoy Manor was far from what he had expected. If there had been one second that he'd believed that these holidays he would get a break he was fooling himself. From dawn til dusk was spent in the company of Draco much to his frustration and Draco's joy. Sure it was better than spending the entire holidays with the Dark Lord but it was nothing compared to spending a Christmas with his real family.

He didn't mean the Dursley's or the Weasley's either. No, he desired to spend his holidays with Sirius and Remus (and perhaps Severus if he wasn't being an ass to his godfathers) however that wasn't going to happen in the near future. Nope instead he was celebrating with Draco and not entirely certain as to why he had allowed it to happen.

At first Harry had been intrigued by Malfoy Manor and what lay beneath the surface. It was after all one of the few pureblood Manors he had ever seen. However as Draco had finished the tour (which had taken a day) he realized that it wasn't as grand as he had first thought.

Sure the Manor was very large yet there weren't any hidden passageways that led to secret rooms filled with forbidden objects. All of the portraits were rather offended to have a halfblood in the house until they noticed the band. They became pleasant and almost respectful towards him after that. Compared to Hogwarts it was pathetic and boring not that Draco believed so with the way he continued to boast about numerous rooms or objects.

The room Lucius (for that was what the man told him to call him) had allocated for him was directly beside Draco's. Not that Harry had expected any different however they were pureblood and only family members were meant to have rooms there. The reason they gave for the location was simply in case he got lost but he didn't believe that for an instant. It was convenient that he would never be able to leave his room without someone noticing. That and being an Elemental, Harry assumed, allowed him privileges that others were obviously denied.

His room was the same size with the same decorations of Slytherin silver and a light blue. They were the Malfoy colours or so he had been proudly informed. Everything was identical to Draco's, even the furniture. A king sized bed was the main attraction with two doors, one leading to a bathroom and another to a wardrobe. Then there were several sofas which Harry thought useless and a desk and bookshelf. Everything in his room was identical to that of Draco's. It honestly freaked him out more than anything.

Yet none of these luxuries helped to calm him at all. It was Christmas Eve and he was going to see his soon to be new 'master'. There was no way Harry was ever going to use that title for the Dark Lord however he still didn't know what he dared to get away with.

Draco was jumping for joy. For what exactly Harry wasn't positive but he believed it was something about being close to their master and his 'brother'. It certainly had nothing to do with the pain the Claiming was likely to cause them both. He merely hoped that Luna and the Scorpion would be alright as the next Elemental was claimed.

"We shall depart now Mr Potter."

Lucius motioned for him to move closer so they could apparate. Whilst Harry didn't have permission to apparate, Draco did. It wasn't entirely fair considering that only people over the age of seventeen were meant to have their license but Lucius had sway within the government. He could easily permit his son to have a license if need be.

Harry could only lament that Severus wasn't present. If he had helped them to their destination then Harry would have at least been able to see the only person that he trusted implicitly before this began. Now he would have to do without. It was probably for the best however because if the Dark Lord got any inclination that Severus knew before they were ready to release it, well, it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

Allowing Lucius to take a hold of his arm, Harry braced himself for the sensation. He'd been told that apparating felt like being pulled through a tiny tube or pipe. It was much worse. Every part of him screamed yet he couldn't take a breath. The trip didn't last for any longer than a few seconds but to Harry it felt like an eternity.

Once there Lucius let go of Harry who stumbled a little in an attempt to regain his balance. Draco however immediately latched onto him and helped to steady him. There was no way Draco would let him go unless he absolutely had to.

Looking around he realized immediately that they weren't anywhere near Riddle Manor or the graveyard. In fact the scenery was entirely different. Wide fields spanned around them with nothing as far as the eye could see. Only the Manor that they had arrived at was visible; that and the wall that surrounded it. The rock wall was something to be marvelled at as was the metal gate that kept intruders out. The Manor, also made from the same rock, loomed behind it without any vegetation in sight. With only the snow as decoration the scenery and a gentle breeze it was fairly gloomy.

Harry allowed Lucius and Draco to lead him to the Dark Lord's throne room. Supposedly, it was the only room that the Dark Lord permitted all of his followers to enter at any time. Other Death Eaters didn't enter the numerous rooms such as the library or his personal study unless called and even then that was rare and only for his most trusted. As far as Harry knew only a few Death Eaters remained here however that would change when Azkaban was broken into. Then an entire wing would be crawling with them.

The Dark Lord had changed since the last time he had witnessed him during a vision. His hair was even longer now while his skin had lost some of its scaly appearance. He still looked hideous and snake-like but with the hair it was plain weird. His nose was slowly beginning to make a comeback which added to the whole effect. He appeared downright nasty.

While Lucius and Draco kneeled before their Lord, Harry stood behind them with his arms folded in defiance across his chest. He wasn't going to allow the Dark Lord to bully him into submission and Luna hadn't mentioned that he couldn't rebel. Luna had merely informed him that he would be claimed and nothing more. If there had been danger he would have been warned.

Voldemort sneered at the sight. He had anticipated this but even then he hadn't thought that his Elemental would be this rebellious. They were meant to obey and be loyal to only him. Harry Potter would of course have to be different.

"Why do you not bow to your lord and master?" he enquired.

He wanted to know why Potter was so insistent on being this way.

Harry watched as Lucius and Draco tensed at the Dark Lord's words. They obviously thought that they were going to be punished for not informing him of the 'proper protocol' for presenting yourself before the great Dark Lord. Little did they know that even if they did, he wouldn't have obeyed the order. His morals took precedent over his master.

"I may not be able to speak your name any longer like your pet Death Eaters but that doesn't mean I will bend a knee. I'm not them nor will I ever be. The sooner you learn that the better it will be for you because I don't care who you think you are, to me you are still the bastard who killed my parents, Dark Lord or not."

If glares could kill Harry would be dead several times over. The Dark Lord certainly didn't enjoy being challenged.

"I can simply force you to submit."

Harry had thought about that as well whilst reading through the Slytherin books. The Master was meant to be able to order them to do anything. However he had come prepared for everything that the Dark Lord would throw at him.

"If I can fight off your Imperio I can fight any order you give me. It won't be easy but I will fight."

Voldemort knew Harry could fight off his Imperio which he had proven in the graveyard at his resurrection. Harry would be the most difficult Elemental to control though he had believed that the wildness of Fire would be worse. He was hoping that Fire wasn't as wild as he believed now for that would cause problems. He had no patience to attempt to reign his Elementals in. If his plans were to work they needed to obey.

Harry watched as numerous emotions flittered swiftly across the Dark Lord's face before settling on a smirk. It certainly spelt his doom.

"Hmm I can see having you as my Elemental shall be interesting to say the least." Voldemort commented.

Harry scoffed. Of course it was going to be interesting especially when he gets tired of everyone and begins to test his abilities on all of the unsuspecting Death Eaters. They wouldn't know what hit them and they wouldn't be able to punish him either. No, an Elemental was more important to the Dark Lord than a little wimpy Death Eater. No one would touch him.

"Lucius, Draco, you are free to leave but Harry will remain here with me till the week is out. Then you can have the joy of his company once again."

Draco looked ready to argue the fact that he was going to be away from one of his brothers however Lucius dragged him away. As soon as the door closed Harry tried desperately not to tense. It was difficult however as he was alone in a room with a murderer he had just willingly insulted.

"Now we are all alone."

Rolling his eyes, Harry turned away to look at the room in an attempt to calm his nerves. He'd believed in his naivety that the Dark Lord would claim him and then send him on his way with Draco. Not that he would send Draco away. The Air Elemental was probably the only person he felt comfortable with in this current situation. Now that safety net was gone and all he could to was distract himself.

The room hadn't changed since his vision with Lucius and the Dark Lord. Everything was still immaculate. Slytherin banners mounted the walls. Yet that was the only decoration. The stone was cold and seemed to press in on you. If he thought the outside looked unwelcoming this was nothing to compare. However it was only the Dark Lord's throne room and it wasn't meant to look appealing. That would get rid of the entire feel of unease it created in Death Eaters.

Harry tensed as he felt arms wrap possessively around his waist. He had known that the Dark Lord wasn't going to treat him like Draco but he hadn't expected this sort of intimacy from the man – ever. His 'Master's' breath was puffing onto the back of his neck as he leaned towards him, making Harry shiver unconsciously. There was no way he was going to react to this. The Dark Lord's appearance wasn't a very pleasant visage so that wasn't what made his body a traitor to his mind. He was definitely uncomfortable with this situation yet the Elemental practically preened. Regardless, he would fight.

"Now I have you all to myself and there is so much I want. What shall I do? No, what shall we do?"

Harry flinched as he felt hands grip his hips. It was intimate and that was something he didn't want to associate with the Dark Lord. Of course the creep level increased considering the man himself was well over fifty years old. Not that he would look that old when he finally regains his power, his treacherous mind thought. Unfortunately he was a teenager and these feelings weren't likely to settle down. Instead they were likely to crop up when he least needed them to.

"Did you have an amusing time with Draco at Malfoy Manor? I can see how attached to you he has become and I must say that I understand his reluctance to part with you though for different reasons. He sees you as a brother, some like him, while I… well let's just say that you most certainly aren't a member of my family."

The tone in the Dark Lord's voice made Harry believe that it wasn't something to be grateful for and the arms surrounding him only further proved his point. Harry hadn't expected this reaction from the Dark Lord. Sure he'd known that their relationship would be different to the other Elementals. All of them would be different. This however was something else entirely and he wasn't sure that he liked where it would lead.

Harry squirmed slightly in the hold. He couldn't handle this at the moment. He desperately needed time to think through all of this and it couldn't be done with the Dark Lord around him.

"I think that I'd like to rest for the time being."

The Dark Lord quietened when Harry requested that he desired to rest. Harry didn't know whether the man would actually listen to him or not but it was worth the risk even if he was punished for it. The punishment however wouldn't even harm him. Luna had promised that much. The Dark Lord would never harm his Elementals physically.

"Very well I shall take you to your room." Voldemort answered after a minute of silence.

With the arm kept firmly around his waist, Voldemort dragged him out of the throne room and into the corridor. Without breaking step Voldemort led Harry down many corridors that twisted and turned out of sight of the throne room and moved deeper into the Manor. There was no possible way Harry could have remembered where he was going or the path back. From what he could see this wing of the Manor was exclusive to the Dark Lord and those he trusted, not something that reassured Harry a lot given his position.

Finally he stopped outside of a door only to open the door and lead him inside. The room was large. To one side was a king sized bed decked in Slytherin colours as was most of the room. The remainder of the furniture around the room was entirely black leaving no other colours in the room at all. It was rather bleak.

Like his rooms at Malfoy Manor, there were two other doors, one which obviously led to the bathroom while the other hopefully led to a wardrobe. On the other side of the room, the windows revealed the bland and desolate 'garden' and the wall protecting the Manor. He hoped that with him being there, eventually a garden would grow to be just as magnificent as the one he imagined within his mindscape. It just seemed rather lonely without a garden to gaze upon here.

Between the bed and the windows was a desk against the wall obviously for his schoolwork and in front of that was a lounge chair and coffee table. More items which he didn't really need. He practically had an entire muggle apartment in his room. It was highly unnecessary but not something that Harry dared complain about in the likelihood of having it taken away.

The entire room was grey stone and would be cold during the winter months but blissfully cool during the summer. Winter nights would be terrible especially for him. Expensive rugs were lying on the ground by both the bed and the lounge. It was ridiculous that he would need all of this but he guessed that nothing was too expensive for the Dark Lord's Elementals. His trunk had already been delivered here by one of the numerous Malfoy house-elves he didn't remember.

Though he had his own house-elves, he didn't use them around people he didn't trust which was pretty much everyone. Kreacher was loyal to him though he still had to obey Sirius on occasion. Dobby was a free-elf however he tended to get a little carried away. Then there was Winky. She still had a ton of problems attached to her psyche.

"Here is your room. I shall be across the hall if you need anything." Voldemort finally removed his arm and turned to leave.

"Why couldn't I simply call a house elf?"

Voldemort lost the calm in his body language and was replaced instantly with anger. It was a result of his insanity, Harry knew, however he was still shocked that one simply question asked out of curiosity was behind it. Before he even knew it, he was pinned against the wall with Voldemort leaning over him. It was times like his that Harry wished he had grown a little taller.

"Everything you do will go through me do you understand? You will not need those filthy creatures when you have me. They are only here to aid with the cooking and cleaning. You won't need them for anything else. Tonight you will be Claimed. You will be mine and nothing else shall matter."

Harry was positive that the Dark Lord was till bordering on insanity even with one of his Elementals Claimed and the other close. With time (or more Elementals) he hoped that it would eventually disappear since it was a scary sight to behold. Shakily he nodded his head which appeared to be enough for the Dark Lord as he walked out the door and closed it behind him. All Harry could do was collapse on the bed. What had he managed to get himself into now?

x-x-x-x-x

They were a small group, Harry studied. Just the Dark Lord, Lucius and Draco stood with him. When all of the Elementals were together they would be a little more substantial. But for now they truly weren't much of a threat especially when they knew next to nothing about their abilities and what they could achieve.

Night had fallen rather swiftly, too swiftly for Harry's liking. However the Dark Lord was certainly pleased and Draco was rather excited. The Claiming was about to begin.

"Well now Harry, the time has come…"

Harry watched as the Dark Lord approached him. It was rather unnerving and he knew that Severus would be here soon. But that was another concern that he would have to deal with. The Dark Lord certainly wouldn't be pleased when he discovered Severus had known everything. Harry was merely taking decisions away from him and nothing could be done about it.

Voldemort reached forward and took his left wrist, making sure to cover the band entirely with his left hand. With his right hand he gripped Harry's chin and forced him to make eye contact. Green met red and didn't glance away, causing Voldemort to smirk. With Harry in his grasp Dumbledore and the Order would lose faith. However he would save this knowledge as long as possible.

"You are mine…"

Harry felt the words stir within him. The Claiming had begun and there was little he could do about it now. This was his path in life and he was going to make it entirely his own. Only his choices would dictate his life.

"Mine to tell what to do, mine to tell who to see…"

That was rather ridiculous Harry thought but either way he continued to stare into the Dark Lord's eyes, not backing down an inch.

"You are mine Harry James Potter, you are my Earth Elemental."

His band seared and he wasn't entirely unaffected. He hissed as the pain reached a new height and heard Draco do the same. There was a certainty that Luna had felt the same. Yet even as the pain coursed through him he didn't look away from the Dark Lord. Something in the man's eyes was wrong. Certainly they were possessive but there was something beneath that which was unnerving. He couldn't quite explain it and then it was all over.

Draco tackled him and wrapped his arms around him. Harry stumbled forwards but managed to catch himself before he fell into the Dark Lord. That wouldn't have been very pleasant.

"Now you are one of us!" Draco cried triumphantly.

Harry didn't even dare to look up and see the triumph in the Dark Lord's eyes. It was likely to be unbearable and he wasn't going to put himself through that pain especially with what was likely to come.

"Now as to your mentor-"

Just as suddenly as the Claiming, Severus entered the room. Everyone was surprised bar Harry. He'd been waiting for this for a long time. Severus stalked into the room having eyes only to make certain that Harry was unharmed. Lucius and Draco were ignored even as they moved forward.

"Severus, what are you doing here?" Lucius questioned already moving to intercept him.

"I am Harry's mentor." He declared.

They'd spent many nights debating on what Severus would say. In the end it was agreed that simple was best. Straight to the point was the best motion when facing the Dark Lord in this situation.

For minutes everything was silent. Harry knew, as did Severus, that this was nothing. It was always calm before the storm. This was no different. They just needed to make sure to control where that anger was directed upon release.

"How dare you go behind my back like this!" Voldemort finally hissed.

He was outraged making, them all step back with a wince. The Dark Lord wasn't very pleasant to deal with when he was in a mood such as this. As he raised his wand, Harry knew he had to do something. He needed to start controlling this. Severus depended on him to get everyone out of this in one piece.

"Don't!" Harry said stepping between them.

Severus gripped onto his right arm forcing him to turn slightly but he wouldn't move further. Harry kept his face towards the Dark Lord. He couldn't look away. Getting them all out of this unharmed was the main goal and so he would.

"You dare question me?" Voldemort snarled.

"Yes, you don't know anything about my situation apart from the fact that I am yours. You didn't care for anything else. But how did you think I was going to explain away the fact that I couldn't work in Potions without my ability disturbing the plants? How was I meant to keep it a secret and learn to keep my calm? You were my enemy. I wasn't about to run to you for aid."

It all came out rushed but he needed to protect Severus. The man was the only person he truly trusted at the moment. His words didn't appear to have any change with the Dark Lord however he wasn't cursing them so that had to be a good thing. Severus was attempting to pull him back again but Harry fought it. This was no time for hiding.

Eventually the man hissed, "Why Severus?"

Honestly it was a broad question having many meanings and many answers. But Harry knew exactly what the Dark Lord wanted to know. He wanted to know why Harry had chosen Severus rather than any of the other Order of the Phoenix members or even Dumbledore. Harry could have explained everything to them and turned this all against the Dark Lord however he'd turned to Severus.

"Actually that was rather Lucius' fault." Harry began.

Voldemort immediately turned his narrowed gaze upon his right hand. What had he done in all of this?

"Lucius cornered me in the Potions classroom during one of my detentions and demanded that I reveal my band to him. Severus arrived as Lucius was becoming rather harassing. He intervened however he wouldn't permit me to leave until I had told him why Lucius was so focused on me. Without the permission of the master, an Elemental literally can't speak of Elementals to someone not connected to it. So I asked Severus to become my mentor and explained everything I knew to him that night."

There were a few other reasons but they were personal and the Dark Lord didn't need to know those. At least with this story Lucius could partially confirm it and allow their master to believe in the explanations he was bound to go through.

Voldemort was no more pleased at this news than the last. Lucius had been specifically told not to let on what Draco was to anyone. That also went for any other Elementals that they managed to locate. The fact that he'd made Severus suspicious wasn't good news for him at all. It wouldn't be long before Dumbledore caught on now. Elementals wouldn't be a secret any longer. Yet he was astounded that Harry had managed to keep it a secret till now. He'd been certain that Harry would run straight to someone within the Order.

"Why not choose someone from the Order?"

"I don't trust them."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Harry shifted under the scrutiny of everyone present. He didn't want to reveal anything to the Dark Lord about the Order or the other way around. However considering his mentor was a spy he doubted he'd be able to get away with true Neutrality.

"Dumbledore keeps too many secrets from the Order. Everyone else would eventually run to Dumbledore with the information that I provide them in secret. In the Order the only person allowed to keep secrets is the one that rules."

Harry was rather thankful that the Dark Lord accepted this. He didn't want to go into more detail.

"Though I am not pleased with this turn of events," Voldemort began, "I will consent to having Severus as your mentor. Severus you are to keep an eye on both Draco and Harry as Lucius does now. If anything becomes too much for them you are to get them out as soon as possible. I will not have them at Hogwarts if they will be in any danger."

Both nodded, eagerly accepting their fate as Elemental mentors. Severus however was just glad that he hadn't been punished by the Dark Lord. However that was all due to Harry. He had nothing to do with it. For some reason unknown to Severus, the Dark Lord seemed to have a high interest in Harry as an Elemental.

"As this has happened however, Severus, we will need to work out what you are going to say to Dumbledore. I will instruct you on this at a later time however now it is time for dinner and a small celebration."

No one dared to argue any further.

x-x-x-x-x

Luna barely flinched at the pain in her wrist. Her father had questioned her about it and she had explained everything making him her mentor. It had been a fairly simple choice. No one was more trusted to her than her father. When it came to Xenophilius accepting her role in the war it had been a little more difficult for him to accept of her.

However her visions never led her wrong. Everything had so far worked according to plan. If someone however were to realize what she could do they would have problems. The Department of Mysteries were always excited when they discovered another Seer and were loath to let them go. The only reason Trelawney was allowed to live in the castle was because she wasn't very reliable. Luna on the other hand never got anything wrong.

"Luna, dear, are you alright?" her father enquired over tea.

Smiling airily she answered, "We're going to have to prepare. Soon we'll meet the Dark Lord."

x-x-x-x-x

He was shaking, hunched over in his seat. Surrounded by paper and books, he was normally where he felt safe. But things had changed and they would never be the same again. Safety wasn't something that he was granted any longer no matter what he attempted to do about it.

The mark burned something terrible. The Celtic band of red and black almost gleamed mockingly at him. He had a tough time attempting to keep quiet especially in his office yet he couldn't help the small whimpers that he released on occasion. Pain wasn't something he was used to and he had a feeling that because he was alone it was much worse for him than the others.

Oh, he knew there were others. There was just no telling who they were or what they controlled or even who controlled them. Fire was his Element. He was used to the heat. However since his Element was Fire it didn't burn him. This pain however seared unbearably. It licked at his skin and tortured him leaving him panting for breath when it ceased.

Gritting his teeth, he looked around his office. Everything was slightly seared. Pain brought his Element to the surface uncontrollably. It burnt anything in its path in an attempt to keep him safe. However since the pain was from the mark it had nothing to burn in retaliation.

A sob escaped him. He couldn't do this alone anymore. He needed aided. He needed to find someone he could trust…

* * *

**The Fire Elemental nearly has me in tears! Thanks for the reviews.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	14. Owned

**~Chapter Fourteen: Owned~**

Harry James Potter huffed. He was bored stiff and there was nothing to do when one was all alone deep inside enemy territory. Well, Harry sighed, they weren't really enemies any longer. No, since the Dark Lord had claimed him he couldn't say with any confidence that they were enemies. They certainly weren't friends or even allies but he rather doubted those titles mattered to his master. Harry belonged to him and that was all that concerned him for the moment.

That night after the claiming had been horrendous. He'd had to end to the amount of possessiveness that both Draco and the Dark Lord gave him. Lucius and Severus were fine but he'd been hammered. Hours later their little celebration had dwindled and the three he'd wanted to remain left. Harry had immediately claimed tiredness and returned to his room. There was only so much one could take of the Dark Lord before they started to feel their ire grow.

Upon waking, he'd had nothing better to do than stare at the ceiling and that was where he remained. He had no idea what was expected of him. He'd been told that as an Elemental, he would remain at Riddle Manor but that didn't explain what he would be doing. Would he be spending his time wandering the halls? Would he be allowed outside to visit the garden? What about the library or would he have to spend his entire time surrounded by Death Eaters and the Dark Lord? Would Severus or even Draco be permitted to visit? He wished he knew.

Sluggishly he got out of bed and wandered over to the cupboard to find something to wear. Once he opened the door to accomplish that simple task he discovered that it was far from simple. The cupboard, which he had assumed was small, was a walk in wardrobe that already had numerous shirts, pants and robes hanging from the impressive walls lining both sides of the wardrobe. He almost tripped backwards at the sheer amount of clothing inside. Now something that should have been an easy task had turned out to be monumental.

There was everything in there from formal robes to casual wear. Numerous pair of shoes lined the bottom of the wardrobe all different styles and highly expensive. He had sets of boxers and briefs and even pyjamas and other night clothes. It was a little overwhelming to enter and he wasn't positive whether he'd even bother with some of these clothes. Honestly who needed several sets of formal wear if they only wore casual?

Harry sighed this was ridiculous. Sure he knew that his master would look after him however he had thought that as he would provide for his health and nothing more. Apparently that assumption had been wrong as well. He would have to make a list and show them to Severus when he returned to Hogwarts. At least then they could update those stupid books. Honestly the elementals had evolved since then as had the bonds and requirements.

Reaching into the wardrobe he carefully took out a long sleeved green cotton shirt and black pants before grabbing a plain black robe all of which fit him perfectly. As elegant as they looked there were far worse items in the wardrobe and probably more expensive. None of those he was going to touch until he absolutely had a reason to. Something told him that Draco had also helped with his new clothing and with the Slytherin money available to the Dark Lord after the first Claiming he guessed that price definitely wasn't a problem for anyone.

Back to the problem at hand... how to get out of the room without going to the Dark Lord for the answer to his boredom…

Attempting to get around that little rule of not going to anyone else was becoming rather annoying. Harry had no idea. If there was one thing that was absolute however it was his desire to make sure he never went to the Dark Lord for a single thing especially if that one thing was insignificant. He couldn't ask for help either because everyone here worked for his master.

It was also unlikely that he would be permitted to get up and simply walk around either. The Dark Lord would probably have warded the door to alert him when Harry left. This was highly likely considering the Dark Lord had taken to escorting him everywhere when possible. How did he get around that? How could he leave this room without going to the Dark Lord?

What if Harry decided to send someone to call the Dark Lord? That way he wouldn't be leaving without informing the Dark Lord yet he would be going to someone else beforehand. Besides he'd only been ordered not to call anyone within the Dark Lord's service; so that left anyone solely connected to him. House elves were his only option.

Any of the house elves in his service would obtain the world for him. Dobby and Winky however wouldn't do well against a dark wizard of any kind what with their past masters. One had served the Malfoys and the other had served Crouch, two groups that were close to the Dark Lord… that left Kreacher. Well that was a no brainer then.

"Kreacher!"

With a small pop Kreacher appeared without any trouble into the room. Seeing his master sitting regally on the black sofa he immediately bowed. His master was finally looking like the young lord that he should be. Lady Black would be most pleased to hear that someone was taking care of the young lord even if it wasn't someone from the Black family. This person was a good influence on the young lord unlike those idiots currently residing within Grimmauld.

"What is it that master desires from Kreacher?"

Harry frowned. He wasn't quite used to the idea that Kreacher belonged to him when his godfather had an even greater right to the house. However he couldn't do much about that. There was only so much one could do with what they were given. Kreacher wanted to obey him and since he was truthfully next in line he could. It was that simple.

"I want you to find the Dark Lord and inform him that I'm awake and enquiring what I shall be doing this morning."

Kreacher nodded and popped away to deliver his master's message. He wasn't afraid of what would happen should he not be speaking to this person as he wasn't his master and couldn't harm him. Only his master could do that and he knew that master would never.

Harry just smirked. This plan was fool proof. Not only had he not left the room without the Dark Lord's say so, he hadn't called anyone to him, as ordered. The Dark Lord couldn't punish him for calling on his own house elf. This way he was both following the Dark Lord's order and going against him. Sometimes having the cunning of a Slytherin helped excellently with his problems. Maybe he should have begun to pay attention to it earlier.

Kracher popped back moments later looking completely calm as if he hadn't just gone to see the Dark Lord.

"Is there being anything else master desires?" he asked bowing.

The Dark Lord swept into the room to see the house elf bowing before his elemental. Harry's smirk only grew wider at the frown on his master's face. Navigating around the Dark Lord's orders was too easy at the moment though he knew that it would begin to get harder as he realized what Harry was attempting to do.

"No that should be all thank you."

You couldn't ignore the smugness coming from Harry. Kreacher however did a remarkable job merely popping away without another word. He was used to the odd manners his master showed him. Silence descended upon them as they stared at each other.

"You didn't say that I couldn't use my own house elves. It's your own fault for not predicting that I wouldn't have my own even if that one does technically belong to the House of Black which I'm not closely related to."

Voldemort growled. Harry was still trying to escape his control. He was still trying to defy him even when he really had no other viable option. Why couldn't the Gryffindor just give in and allow him to rule? Was it so hard? Obviously it was considering the amount of control he had over him now.

"Come we shall go to the Dining Room for breakfast."

As soon as Harry had stood from the couch he found himself in the arms of his master and being directed towards that dining room from where ever they currently were. When had the Dark Lord even gotten close enough to hold him? However he knew why. The Dark Lord wanted to attempt to regain control on this issue. Physically dragging him around was probably as close as the Dark Lord could currently get.

Breakfast was a silent affair. Harry could tell that the Dark Lord was angry with his little stunt before even if he hid it beneath a mask of coldness. They were the only two people seated at the table though there were other places set. Harry assumed that the others Death Eaters in the manor remained up late and slept in much longer than Harry was allowed. He really didn't care though because he knew if he remained up late like them he would witness things he'd rather not see. Besides, even if he did complain his thoughts would easily be ignored.

While buttering his toast, Harry noticed he was seated to the left of the man which frustrated him beyond belief. It was a permanent placing as well. Why did he have to sit next to the Dark Lord? Couldn't he have a nice placement near the end of the table?

The way everything was set the Dark Lord's elementals would be on his left and his most trusted on his right. That way he would only have those he trusted implicitly by his side while the less trustworthy were near the bottom and out of reach should they attempt something. Harry couldn't help but wonder who the Lord's right hand man was. Lucius? Or perhaps it was Severus? That however would remain a secret to him until everyone was sitting together.

"What am I supposed to do today?" Harry asked breaking the silence.

"I am too busy this morning to remain around you ("Unfortunately" Harry muttered sarcastically which was ignored) so you shall have to busy yourself in the library since you will not know the way around the manor. I shall find time this afternoon to spend some time with you young one. It is about time I discovered why you were one of my elementals."

"Can I contact some of my friends then via floo?"

The Dark Lord's harsh glare was levelled on him.

"No you will not use the floo to contact your friends. I will not have others learn of this address and where they can locate my base of operation. I do not need Dumbledore's Order storming my home in an attempt to retrieve you from where you truly belong in the future. You will not use any of the owls in the owlery to contact your friends either since your letters won't gain access through the wards. Under no circumstances are you to annoy my followers either. They have jobs to do that I rely on regardless of whether they are incompetent fools or not. As such you also will not venture outside the walls of the manor either or enter the kitchens to annoy my house elves. Do you understand?"

Oh Harry understood alright. He understood that apart from library he wasn't really allowed anywhere else. His room was available but he'd already spent a decent amount of time couped up there and he wasn't about to repeat that experience. Instead of voicing his thoughts though he simple nodded his head and continued eating not really tasting anything the house elves had cooked.

Shortly after that conversation Harry found himself wandering around the hallways disregarding the library that his master had subtly ordered him to be searching instead. As if he was going to listen to that bastard after spending only a day together. He was only ordered not to floo his friends. That couldn't be ignored though. Now however he realized that the library probably would have been more exciting than endless hallways with no portraits. If he got lost which he was certain that he was he wouldn't be able to find his way back.

Half an hour later and he was still wandering around without a clue as to where he was. Sure after the first few minutes he had thought it was a blast wandering around the Dark Lord's headquarters when he could easily relay the information. Yet it had lost its excitement as he realized most doors were locked and a simple "alohamora" wouldn't open it. That's when he'd gotten bored and realized he was lost. He had tried to accidently run into a few Death Eaters who he knew were wandering around knowing where they were going. That didn't turn out so well when they would turn a corner and disappear. Harry guessed that there were secret passageways throughout the building so even if it were stormed everyone would be able to make it out with relative ease.

The first person he actually recognized since they were all wearing the usual Death Eater robes was Wormtail. At the time he was positive that he would murder the rat but he needed instructions on how to find the library or something that he could actually find from where he was. That planned failed since once spotted Wormtail transformed and scurried away through a crack in the wall.

In pure frustration his Earth elemental began to manifest. The entire building began to shake during his wrath and so much that he didn't even realize that people had gathered at a distance to view is power. The candles that hung around the sides of the corridor to illuminate a path were rattling and the bricks in the walls seemed to shift ominously creating cracks in the work. His abilities as an elemental were phenomenal. Never had the Death Eaters witnessed something so grand not even from there master before he was defeated.

Now however the Dark Lord controlled these abilities that mere children wielded. He was after all their master. They weren't entirely sure whether that was a good thing or not considering his most loyal servants had been replaced by mere children one of which had the urge to kill their master but couldn't. Many Death Eaters were jealous of the sudden change and others were counting it as a blessing. Suddenly the ceiling began to crumble and everyone scuttled further back. They really didn't want to get caught in falling rubble it would simply anger their master at their own failure to protect themselves.

"Stop Harry."

At the sudden order from the cold voice everything ceased to move. Harry blinked what had interrupted him? He'd been enjoying ruining the Dark Lord's headquarters as his frustration at being lost had manifested into sheer power. Slowly he turned around to face his master who was grinning like a Cheshire cat, a scary look on his half formed snake-face.

"Ah little one you possess so much potential. You cause so much destruction with simply your emotions. Along with you and the other three elementals this war shall be easily won by the Dark side. The light shall fall and then we shall continue to rule until the end of time."

What had he meant til the end of time? Harry had heard rumours from the Order members especially Dumbledore that the Dark Lord had somehow created a way to become immortal which was concerning for him. The entire wizarding world believed that he was to defeat someone that was immortal. If that wasn't a feat in itself Harry didn't know what was anymore. Why couldn't the adults handle it like they normally did in the muggle world? Oh right because the wizarding world couldn't think for themselves. He'd forgotten about that.

Harry tensed when his master moved closer and wrapped an arm easily around his slim waist bringing him into a half hug. He wasn't particularly use to these actions between two people and he certainly didn't believe that the Dark Lord of all people would be the one he would first experience them with. It was bizarre and surreal and completely wrong. He would never discuss his feelings about this with someone else.

The Death Eaters swiftly dispersed under the glare turned in their direction. It was obvious to them that their master wanted nothing to do with them at the moment after that display of absolute raw power.

"Come now young one I shall spend some time with you."

Holding Harry so he couldn't slip out of his grasp Voldemort gracefully swept towards a room seemingly at random however upon further investigation he realized it was probably the Dark Lord's personal study. Once inside, his master motioned for him to sit before the fire also where Nagini was currently resting to keep warm. Voldemort took the seat opposite him. Frankly the entire thing unnerved him. He still had trouble understanding how he could keep so calm around the person who had murdered his parents.

"Now my pet we shall have a little discussion about what you know."

Harry gulped. There were many things that he knew that he shouldn't tell the Dark Lord not that it would be able to stop him. The only reprieve would be his inability to tell his master where the Order of the Phoenix headquarters was located due to the Fidelius charm surrounding the property. Instead of actually voicing his thoughts aloud he simply sat waiting for Voldemort to begin the conversation. If it was going to happen, better to get it over with.

It was a safe bet that the Dark Lord would talk for most of the conversation. Voldemort always enjoyed speaking about anything especially if it related to him, say plans for his resurrection or how he came to coercer Ginny. He waffled on and allowed Harry time to think of a plan of simply or allow someone else to come to his aid. That wouldn't be the case this time but it would grant him time to think of a response.

"I must admit that I am curious as to why you have appeared as my Earth elemental. When I initially began to read upon them for one of Slytherin's books I originally believed that they would be all of my Slytherins or that they would be sympathetic to my cause. However you have proven that theory to be false young one. Then I began to think what else could they have in common with me? That was when it came to me. You see I now believe that each of my elementals share a part of my mentality."

Voldemort laced his fingers before him as he gauged Harry's reaction. Like a true Slytherin Harry didn't allow any of his emotions to be displayed on his face. That would be giving the Dark Lord exactly what he desired and Harry wouldn't have it. Voldemort didn't need to know whether he was correct or not. The books had explained a lot more to Harry than Voldemort obviously knew and he wasn't about to jeopardize the only leverage he had even though most of what was in them was outdated.

"Draco has a dispassionate side against all things muggle or muggle related including mudbloods and blood traitors."

Harry had a feeling those words were used on purpose to rouse his anger yet his face remained apathetic. He was already apathetic when it came to Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione so it really didn't bother him as much as his master would have liked to see. What was beginning to get to him however, were those silly nicknames. "Young one" and "pet" weren't names he wanted to be called ever.

"Yet that doesn't include magical creatures. Draco believes that they are abominations however I find them useful especially when the ministry doesn't. Within Draco it was relatively easy to pinpoint the similarities between us as he has grown up with these beliefs. You however I find myself lost. I do not know what similarities there are between us and I must admit I find it rather irritating young one. Do you know what they could be?"

Harry froze. Of course he knew what there one similarity was. He'd learnt it accidently one day when Dumbledore was attempting once again to give him an insight into the mind of the Dark Lord. He'd only been in his second year but ever since then Dumbledore had slowly been feeding him pieces of a puzzle.

There was no way that he was going to get out of this conversation regardless of how much he and the Dark Lord despised speaking of their pasts. However he was grateful that they weren't talking about the Order. That would have been rather difficult to explain in the end. Yet he desperately didn't want to talk about the one thing he tried to forget on every occasion.

"So what do you think little one? What is our similarity?"

He could feel the force of the order. Since it wasn't something huge like murder he allowed it to influence him slightly. Harry mumbled under his breath.

"What was that pet I didn't quite hear you?"

"I said our... our childhood."

Voldemort sat back contemplating what had just been said. His past wasn't something openly discussed mainly because he hadn't told anyone about it at all so how did Harry know? He was careful in his youth to be the best and yet leave no trace behind. Something must have been missed for his Elemental to know this. More importantly though, how were they similar?

"Our childhood, hmm... how did you discover anything about my childhood?" His tone of voice was cold and devoid of emotion this wasn't a topic he wanted to be discussing at all.

Harry shivered but replied.

"Dumbledore told me parts of it though some of it came from your diary. I think he was attempting to sway me as to why you turned ah... evil but it only drew more comparisons between the two of us."

Harry shuffled nervously. He _really_ didn't like where this was going…

"Hmm... that wouldn't surprise me; the old coot shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs. Now tell me, how was your childhood similar to mine?"

Harry paused in his explanation but he could feel the pull of the order and could do nothing to avert it.

"Well after you killed my parents," Harry levelled the Dark Lord with a glare, "Dumbledore sent Hagrid to pick me up, stupid idea if you tell me he could have squashed me... anyway Dumbledore decided to leave me with my closest living relatives which happened to be my mother's sister."

"I don't see how that is as terrible as my time spent at the orphanage considering they were family." Voldemort interrupted sneering.

Harry returned with a glare.

"Would you wait until I'm finished before you start comparing? Continuing, he left me on the doorstep of their house without even considering how they felt about magic. All he left for an explanation was a note telling them my name, date of birth, how my parents were killed and that they were the closest family members I had left. Actually I believe he said they were the only family I had left. Honestly that was one of the worst mistakes he could have made. For the next few years I grew up with muggles that decided they could stomp the magic out of a person."

Harry rolled his eyes at the memory.

"I was always punished when I did accidental magic not that they told me what I was doing at the time. My first bit of magic was when I turned my teacher's hair blue after she angered me. I've apparated onto a school building, set a snake on my cousin, vanished glass and blown up my Aunt Marge. After the accidents began they treated me even more like scum. I had numerous chores that I had to do daily while my whale of a cousin sat and did absolutely nothing except shout for his parents when he did something I could be blamed for."

"The first time I even heard of magic, that wasn't in a simple fairy tale I stole from Dudley, was when Hagrid came to collect me after my uncle tried to stop the owls from finding us. I mean they had told me my parents had died in a car crash of all things rather than tell me the truth! Every summer I return to that hellhole and no one even cares what they do to me or how they treat me. My first hug came from Mrs Weasley, my new friend's mother, because Merlin help them if they ever touched me except to throw me in my cupboard. No they thought I would taint them!"

"I mean what did they believe that my 'freakishness' was contagious and that if they touched me or even showed the smallest amount of affection that they would catch it and die? Honestly they are the worst muggles that ever existed and I have to live them for two months until I can get out..." Harry trailed off in disbelief.

He had just _ranted_ to the Dark Lord.

_He_ had just ranted to the Dark Lord.

He had just ranted to the _Dark Lord!_

Harry twitched. What the hell was he thinking? Or maybe he just wasn't thinking at all... could he blame everything on the bond they shared while belonging to the Dark Lord who was still slightly insane? He didn't even want to imagine what the Dark Lord was even thinking at the moment he was so horrified. Would he get the Cruciatus for that? Somehow what he hadn't expected was the Dark Lord to be laughing at his discomfort.

"This is good news. You feel comfortable around me enough to express some of your feelings. That is a sign that the bond is growing between us. Now not only do I know why you were chosen to be my elemental I know that eventually you will feel comfortable around me greater now than before."

Harry was slightly disturbed at that. He couldn't help but wonder how close and comfortable Voldemort wanted Harry to be which slightly sickened him. Was it something like Draco who was like a child? Somehow Harry doubted that.

"Come child I believe that it is time for you to rest. I shall have one of my house elves bring you dinner."

With a small sigh Harry allowed the Dark Lord to drag him back to his room passing the numerous hallways to return. He wondered whether it was even possible to know directly where you were going in this twisted place. Perhaps he could ask Severus the next time he saw the man?

"I hope your first day here was... entertaining my young one." Voldemort commented lightly.

"It was rather eventful."

Really Harry had no idea what else to answer to that particular though. Well he actually had several things he could say but they weren't particularly savoury.

"Send your house elf to me if you have anything else you desire or come to see me. You know which I would prefer."

"You know which one I'm more inclined to choose." Harry shot back.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes slightly as he opened Harry's bedroom door. It was excellent that Harry had allowed him to hear about his past this afternoon however that stubborn streak was hard to remove from him. It was increasingly frustrating but Voldemort was ready for the challenge. He would slowly break down Harry's resistance and make him see that being closer to him wasn't a bad thing. Harry no longer needed to rely on those pathetic miscreants he calls friends or even the Order. All he would need was Voldemort and the other Elementals.

"Have a good night."

Harry nodded before releasing a long suffering sigh as the door finally closed.

He had done it. He had survived a day with Death Eaters and lived... he wasn't positive whether that was a worthy thing or not to believe considering the circumstances. Either which way he had done everything he once thought impossible. All he had to do was prepare for more days to come. Harry sighed and sat down on the couch waiting for his meal.

The meal arrived and he summoned Winky to check the food for any unwanted potions or spells. Sure he was comfortable staying in the rooms but he really didn't trust anyone to place something in his food to make him more obedient. However as it turned out the only potion the food was laced with was a simple Nutrient potion for his growth. That meant Voldemort was actually paying attention to his health. Did he actually listen to his rant?

Harry didn't know whether to be thankful or concerned. Who knew a Dark Lord had feelings that weren't fury or rage?

He had to wonder what everyone else was doing. Tomorrow would be Christmas and he had to spend the entire day with the Dark Lord and whoever he spent that time with. Could he even open any of his presents? Would he _get_ presents here? So many questions and so few answers... Sure he could go across the hall and ask the Dark Lord himself but for some reason he knew that his master would simply laugh and usher him back to his room. He would be rather pleased that Harry had come to him for answers yet he wouldn't answer them not when he could wait a day for the answer.

Resigned to waiting, he finished his meal he took a quick bath before turning in for a night and only praying that tomorrow would be better.

* * *

**More Inheritance is on its way. I've already started the next chapter ^.^**

**~MidnightEmber**


	15. Order and Letters

**~Chapter Fifteen: Order and Letters~**

Albus Dumbledore felt unsettled. There were a few things that could truly unsettle the wizened man. After all he'd been through so much that many things simply didn't surprise him anymore. He'd seen it once and could anticipate what would follow. Yet there were still moments, no matter how repeated, unsettled him so much the rattle his very being.

One was the unusual visits from his brother. Those he couldn't handle without numerous lemon drops on hand. They were always filled with accusing looks that chilled him. He was more than aware that day had been his fault. The blame couldn't solely be placed with his lover regardless of how much he wanted that. No, he continued to have the shared blame forced upon him now that Gellert was suffering in prison far from Britain. The next was Voldemort and since his brother currently wasn't in the room that left him as the sole reason for his discomfort.

Within the ranks of the current Dark Lord, rumours were beginning to emerge. Death Eaters that could still frequent the wizarding world without being accused were speaking about their master. This proved an excellent source for the Order but what they were hearing wasn't what they had expected. The Dark Lord was beginning to change. This would make him unpredictable. It certainly presented a problem for the Order.

According to Severus' earliest reports, Voldemort had been back on track where he left off the previous war. Drenched in madness, the man hardly had a decent thought that could be used tactically. Then at the beginning of July he'd sequestered himself away in his library only to then call for the Malfoy family.

He threaded his fingers, deep in thought. This summer, what could have changed so monumentally this summer to alter the Dark Lord's plans? He'd yet to call Severus to him about this matter but somehow he had a feeling his spy wouldn't be as helpful as he'd hoped. No, everything was being left up to him.

Pacing, Albus stared at his own books. What was in Riddle's library? That was the main question. It was the entire starting point for this change so logically something within the library had sparked the change. Riddle could have collected any number of books on his travels. However Albus could only begin to guess what that library contained.

Many of the books would contain dark forbidden knowledge not uttered in centuries let alone practiced. Some of those books might be legal but many of them would be banned by the Ministry. Some of them, Albus feared, would also come directly from Slytherin himself. If that was indeed the case, the Order could be in more danger than he initially believed.

Salazar Slytherin had written several sets of books in his lifetime. Not many were well known and very few could read them as they were all written in Parseltongue which infuriated Albus. One set had been found amongst the Headmaster's belongings before he took the post. Dippet, not knowing Riddle's connection to the line, had kept them safe for the time when a Parseltongue arrived back at Hogwarts to claim everything. He'd hoped to have Harry translate them but their current relationship wasn't what he would like it to be. Regardless, there were still many sets that the Dark Lord could have possession of.

One of the most well-known series was based solely on Parseltongue. It explained how the ability became a part of the Slytherin bloodline, how Slytherin had managed to mix his blood with that of a snakes. The very first book alone would be worth millions of galleons should anyone be able to locate it. However it appeared to be lost to the ages.

Another was thought to be about the dreaded Basilisk. Albus believed this book had a tie in with the Parseltongue books only because he had a theory the Basilisk was the original creature to grant the ability to the Slytherin line in the first place. However that was merely a theory until he had the books to prove it.

The set he knew for certain existed was about Potions though many of them would be illegal to brew. He had the set sequestered away for the time being. Until he could be certain both Harry and Severus (for who else would brew his potions) were on his side he couldn't hand them over. Doing so without knowing could indeed prove to be quite reckless given the circumstances.

Yet there were many more that were unaccounted for. Not that it would do many people good. Only Harry and Tom would be able to translate the books. However the knowledge and power within were almost too good to pass up even fir Albus Dumbledore. Yet there was a huge problem. If Tom were to be defeated then Harry would be the only person on Earth capable of translating the books. If Tom won then there wouldn't be a hope in the world of him being able to read them. He would need to think very carefully upon this. Yet he needed to get back on topic…

One series of books must have captured the Dark Lord's attention. Which series it was however he couldn't say. Regardless it was beginning to take a rather large scale effect. Numerous plans he'd had in place for events such as this were beginning to unravel at an alarming rate. He barely had enough momentum to keep the few pieces he had in place. If only that were the one concern on his mind, he lamented.

He now had growing concern over Voldemort's connection with Harry. It appeared that Voldemort's change in behaviour had begun to affect the Saviour quite greatly. To begin with he'd held concern that the connection would be a problem but with Voldemort's change it was having an increased effect that he had seen coming.

Harry would no longer speak with any of his friends. Miss Granger and Mr Weasley had both expressed concern over this fact given that he'd now begun to follow the likes of Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom and the other Gryffindor boys were occasionally amongst the group but they didn't show such an affinity to Harry as Mr Malfoy did. Even Miss Weasley had turned to him to express her concerns. These only fuelled his own but none as much as the relationship between Harry and Sirius.

The relationship between Harry and his godfather had become rather strained during his stay at Grimmauld Place. He'd pushed away his friends during this time and the distance between Sirius and Harry had only grown while Harry spent most of his time within the Black Library. It was yet another connection between Harry and the Dark Lord that didn't fuel him with much confidence.

But what really worried him was the reverent looks Kreacher had begun to give him. Instead of listening wholly to Sirius, as was his right as Lord Black, Kreacher had taken to ignoring Sirius and listening only to what Harry said. He may grudgingly listen to Sirius' orders but they were few and far between given Sirius' obvious disgust when seeing the creature. Harry on the other hand had taken to ordering Kreacher around like a true Pureblood and the orders tended to work against what the Order were attempting to do within the house.

Kreacher, as instructed, had taken to moving personal items around the house. No one could find their belongings once they realized an item was missing. Then there were the numerous opportunities Kreacher took to mess the house up. Once Molly Weasley had cleaned an entire room, making it spotless, Kreacher would return and restore it to its original state of destruction and decay. Everything was beginning to pile up and it certainly wasn't leading where Albus needed it to go.

Honestly he couldn't believe everything he'd predicted was falling apart. He'd believed that the Dark Lord would attempt to go straight for the Prophecy which he'd fallen to many years beforehand. Yet he'd resisted and gone straight into the library forcing Harry to act in the same manner. Obviously there was something greater than the knowledge of the Prophecy tempting him to change his course. Albus Dumbledore needed an answer to this…

The Order all turned to him eyeing him with questions they had. Of course it was the most paranoid of them all that began the questioning.

"Why have we gathered?" Mood growled.

"And where the hell is Snape?" Sirius growled.

Albus sighed. Sirius may have been innocent and he may have been more lucid than many of the ex-prisoners but he couldn't move past childhood rivalry. That was probably one thing that Harry currently found irritating. It wasn't that difficult to deduce especially when most of the Order felt the same way.

"We are gathered here for information and Severus is currently occupied with other tasks."

He couldn't tell them that he doubted Severus. That would only lead to endless trouble within the Order that he definitely didn't need at this time. Besides the gloating Sirius was likely to spout wasn't worth it.

"As I have feared, Voldemort has altered from his previous course of action."

Silence fell upon the group. Albus took this as a sign to continue.

"Voldemort isn't showing the usual signs of collecting more supporters. From what I can tell there hasn't been much movement on the Death Eater front at all and this brings great concern."

Tonks frowned. "I thought he wanted people to remain ignorant of his return?"

"At first given the circumstances, I to, believed that was what he desired. Recent events however have made me rethink this. Earlier in the year, Severus passed on information that Voldemort had spent the better part of June acting as per usual. It was only at the beginning of July that he'd begun sequestering himself away in his library searching for something he'd not speak of to his Death Eaters."

Numerous questions were spat out at once leaving no room for Albus to answer any of them. In the end he merely waited for them to fall into a natural silence.

"I can't say for certain what it is Voldemort is after. More than likely he has found a reference to something within Slytherin's books that he wished to pursue. To make matters even worse I believe that this isn't merely connected to him. Whatever this is, it is connected to other people. I already suspect that it is has a connection to the Malfoy family because of their movements. What I fear is that Harry also has some kind of connection to this plan as well."

Sirius and Remus perked up immediately. The Weasley family also became quite alert at this having noticed the marked difference in Harry's attitude the past few months. However that also brought up another highly marked question.

"Where is my godson?"

Given it was the Christmas Holidays Harry usually would have spent it either at Hogwarts or more commonly with Sirius given that he was finally in a location where they could spend the time together. It obviously wasn't a secret then that Harry wasn't at either location. Sometimes he wished that the Weasley brood would learn to keep their mouth shut and let him handle these situations.

"He is currently spending his holidays in the company of the Malfoy family."

A huge uproar proceeded. He really needed obtain a method of keeping them all silent so only one person could speak at a time. Once again he waited for them to quieten.

"Why did you allow him to go there?" Remus demanded.

Albus sighed. "As Headmaster I have little choice in the matter. As long as his guardians approve then he can spend his holidays wherever he so chooses."

"His Aunt allowed him to go to Malfoy Manor." Molly screeched in outrage.

"I doubt it was agreed upon like that Molly. More than likely Harry's Aunt simply didn't care where he went provided he didn't return home for that period of time. I believe their family is currently in Norway. They wouldn't have been able to get arrange anything for him at such short notice." He explained.

Several of the Order members frowned at his choice of words but they didn't say anything and he didn't explain anything. Harry chose not to tell them about his home life and Albus wasn't about to let them in on that little secret either. For the time being everything would be alright but he felt when the summer holidays arrived that everything would change then.

"So he's surrounded by Death Eaters and Dark Supporters all day every day. Why didn't he simply come here?"

"This is why I believe the connection between Harry and Voldemort to be stronger than I originally believed. Though he seemed reluctant to go to Malfoy Manor he still left with the Malfoy's. I have Severus attempting to keep an eye on things there but it is rather difficult when he can only show up on the odd occasion without arousing suspicion."

"He should try harder!" Sirius snapped.

Everyone sent annoyed glances towards Sirius. Albus allowed them to. Sometimes that man needed to be taken down by his peers.

"What do we do from here?" Kingsley asked.

"We wait for the end of the holidays when Harry will once again be within Hogwarts' walls." Albus explained. "From there we will be able to have better access to him and from there learn what went on during his stay at Malfoy Manor. Severus should also be included in that discussion. He'll be able to grant us another view in this situation."

Everyone fell silent. Having their saviour away from them certainly wasn't something that was all that comforting especially when he was spending the time with Malfoy's. The group couldn't help but feel rather forlorn.

"What of the prophecy?"

It was finally the question they had all been thinking. Protecting the tiny thing was taking too much of their time and not everyone could continue to do so. People at the Ministry were beginning to become suspicious even with the use of Invisibility Cloaks. It wasn't safe for them to do so anymore and they weren't going to continue if it didn't mean anything.

"I doubt that the Prophecy shows any interest to the Dark Lord anymore." Albus confirmed. "I won't insist on having anyone protect or watch it any longer. Other concerns are taking control now. However for the moment I want Sirius and Remus to get in contact with Harry and see if we can't get him to see where we are coming from."

Sirius eagerly nodded whilst Remus simply tilted his head in acceptance.

"What about my children? They want to keep in contact with Harry as well!" Molly insisted.

Albus permitted them to send letters though he rather doubted it would change the relationship between them. If anything it would probably only make everything worse. However he wasn't going to alienate the Weasleys. He needed all the help he could get at the moment and if that meant taking risks with Harry that was what would have to happen. Albus could only hope that it worked.

x-x-x-x-x

Letters weren't something Harry was used to receiving especially by the bucket load. On occasion he received letters during the summer holidays from his friends but truly that was it. Winter holidays were usually reserved for lying about doing nothing, playing in the snow and unwrapping presents. Certainly this was not his idea of fun…

Still at the Riddle Manor he had chosen to actively seek out the library. It was either that or sit and listen to Death Eater meetings by the Dark Lord's side. Of course he hadn't counted on the increased influx of letters from "concerned" people. Most of those people were people within the Order of the Phoenix. How he had received these letters he wasn't certain. According to his dear master he shouldn't be able to receive any mail from anyone. It appeared that Hedwig simply defined all logic even magical logic. Harry was rather smug about this. Hedwig merely preened.

Yet the letters posed a rather large problem. He wasn't sure whether to even bother opening them. With only his name on the front, he couldn't really tell who had sent him what. Truthfully he knew some would be important and would likely need answers. He was after all expecting a letter from Neville about potential Neutrals. Harry sighed; all he could do was open them.

The first was signed by Hermione Granger. He immediately leaned towards the fire and threw it in. That friendship had sailed long ago. The next two were from Ron and Ginny Weasley. They followed Granger's letter. Seriously he wasn't going to even bother with them anymore. He had other thing to worry about their broken friendship aside.

The next letter was from Luna. In her usual way of words she described her holidays and the days that were likely to follow. Harry easily depicted that Luna's time as a free Elemental was running near zero. Soon she would be called and yet now that he was bonded to their master this actually relieved Harry. It was still frustrating but his mind already knew that they would be safe. Luna had obviously known all along but it was different being able to feel it.

For the first time in his life he was safe. He had a rather ridiculous family around him that was true but it was something he'd never had before in his life. Even though he would rather have had this family without the Dark Lord he was admittedly fine with him being present for the time being. It was a sobering thought.

Putting Luna's letter aside he reached for the next one. It belonged to Neville. He'd sent the list and it included everyone. Some of the family names he'd never even heard about before. However that mattered little. Now he could make arrangements to get everyone out when they wanted to. Each family name had a date next to it. Harry assumed these were the dates they would like to leave by considering most of them were set during the school summer holidays. Not that it mattered, he could work with that. Smiling he placed that beneath Luna's letter.

The final letter was from Sirius and Remus. Harry cringed. He'd never really gotten around to speaking with them. He knew that ignoring them wasn't a very solid solution but it had been the only solution he'd had this past summer. Now they'd obviously been grilled by the Headmaster who Harry didn't want knowing about Elementals at all. That would be a disaster. Sirius and Remus on the other hand were another matter entirely.

As much as he loved having Severus to speak with he wanted them to know. Harry wanted to be able to tell them everything that had been happening. There were many things he wanted to discuss to his godfather and uncle. But he couldn't. Any word that he spilled to his godfather's would be immediately repeated back to Dumbledore. Those two were too deep within the Light to think for themselves. As much as he wanted them to be part of his life that time was far gone. They'd put their faith in the wrong person.

Harry decided against reading it for the peace of his own mind. Delving into the trouble that letter was likely to bring wouldn't be worth the pain it brought on especially considering its link to Sirius and Remus. He could handle the not being a part of his life at the moment. Betrayal on the other hand was another matter entirely. The letter went straight into the fire along with other Order letters.

"Harry!"

Swiftly, he grabbed the letters and tucked them into his robe. No one but him should see those letters. If anyone else did read them especially here it wouldn't do any good. Relief flooded him when Draco walked through the door alone. The Dark Lord was the last thing he needed to deal with right now.

"What is it Draco?" he enquired.

"Aren't you excited for tomorrow?"

Draco was practically jumping around like an energetic child. Harry sighed. Of course he knew what day it was tomorrow. Draco had taken to reminding him whenever he stopped by. To be honest it was irritating. However this was Draco and it was his first time spending Christmas with him. Harry could understand why that would be slightly invigorating for his fellow Elemental even if he would never say the words aloud.

"Draco it's just a day." Harry attempted to reason.

"It's not just a day Harry! It's one of the best days ever! We get presents and spend time with the people we care about. Haven't you ever had a day that was the most relaxing day in your entire life? Your parents aren't under any pressure to act in a certain way. You aren't expected to act in a certain way or abide by any laws or rules." Draco cried out dramatically.

Harry smiled. Something like that would be rather special for Draco and other purebloods. It wasn't likely that they spent much time being themselves even around each other. Christmas was the one time that was allowed to happen. Having never spent a Christmas with his parents to memory, Harry couldn't actually relate but he was happy that Draco did get these moments with his parents even if he ranted on and on.

"Yeah but it's still half a day away." Harry pointed out. "Why are you getting so excited now?"

In all likelihood he would be spending the day around the Dark Lord. It wasn't something he was particularly thought to enjoy. However Draco's smile was sneaky and quite devious.

"Tomorrow, mother, father and I will be enjoying the glorious day with you, the Dark Lord and Severus!"

Draco's smile never wavered. Harry's on the other hand was becoming rather forced. He'd resigned himself for tomorrow. Spending it with the Dark Lord after his epic rant wasn't something he'd desired to do but it would need to be done. Now he would have practically everyone around him and they would know that something had happened between them to fix a part of their relationship. That was the last thing he needed right now.

At least he'd have Severus around for some time. Ever since his Claiming he'd not been allowed near Severus. That had been some very lame revenge for the Dark Lord. Not that Harry cared. Severus had warned him the Dark Lord was likely to do such a thing. It just proved that their master was still lost in insanity.

"It sounds fantastic."

Draco beamed at him.

"The Dark Lord even gave us permission to remain here for the next few days to keep you company as well! We're going to have so much fun!"

"I'm sure we will." It was said in earnest.

Harry stood ignoring the burning letters and allowed Draco to grapple onto his arm. Hopefully they would have been fully destroyed by the time anyone else entered the library. If even a single piece was left behind then someone would be able to repair the letter and attempt to read whatever writing was legible. He didn't currently need that.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked.

Draco smiled, eagerly leading him from the room. The next few days were going to be difficult but Harry had a feeling he was going to enjoy every second of it.

x-x-x-x-x

"_Mine"_

Harry was in a void and couldn't see a thing. He couldn't remember what had happened. Draco had spent the afternoon with him. They'd just been lounging around with Lucius and Severus nearby keeping an eye on them. Narcissa had been off visiting someone so she hadn't been present. The Dark Lord had also been busy so it had just been the four of them keeping each other company and playing silly wizard games. At least that was what he remembered.

However, it was entirely too dark for his liking. For all he knew he could be locked up in some dungeon. Though that wasn't likely as he could walk in any direction for what seemed like minutes and not hit anything. Harry was beginning to believe this was all an elaborate illusion. At least he knew he wasn't truly dreaming. All of his dreams centred around family or friends. This void was probably something his mind had created due to something his mind was slowly attempting to come to terms with.

"_Mine… my little one…"_

Arms wrapped possessively around his torso keeping him safe and secure in the warmth they provided. Where had he felt that before? It was familiar and yet he couldn't quite place it… Sirius? A growl answered him though he was positive he hadn't spoken a word. Yet it wasn't Padfoot's growl but a possessive growl of a human. Whose was it? And then there was that voice. It calmed him for some unknown reason, soothed his worries.

"_Mine… my Harry…"_

Oh Merlin. Arms explored his body. Oh Merlin. It was Voldemort. Harry keened uncomfortably. It was a dream sent to him by Voldemort. Everything held such a possessive ting to it created to show who he belonged to. Merlin he didn't even know whether or not this was actually Voldemort or an image sent to him to mess with his mind and make him more obedient. He was so confused.

"Harry…"

His name spoken in Parseltongue sent shivers down his spine. That reaction had stalled the roaming hands at least but allowed Voldemort to chuckle instead and tighten those arms around him in what Harry assumed was a hug. He found Harry's reactions amusing. Why? Why did the bastard of a master torment him so?

"Harry!"

He could feel the arms disentangling themselves from him as if they were fading from memory. What was going on? Why were the arms and that voice changing? They weren't as calm as before. Why was that? Why was the tone changing?

"HARRY!"

Groaning Harry opened a bleary eye and glanced around trying to find what had woken him from his sleep so early in the morning rousing him from his confusing dream. The answer came with a blond haired, silver eye Malfoy who was pulling at his covers and practically jumping in place. There was a reason Draco was present, Harry was certain, however for the life of him he couldn't quite remember what that reason could be.

"What do you want Draco?" he grumbled.

It was too early in the morning to be thinking so why was Draco dressed and attempting to pull him out of bed? Too early… he just wanted to close his eyes for one second…

Draco huffed and gave another tug.

"Get up Harry! Do you even remember what day it is?"

Harry growled warningly.

"No nor do I care so let me sleep!"

"But Harry the Dark Lord prohibits me from opening any of my gifts without you present! How am I supposed to wait until you decided to crawl out of bed?" Draco demanded. "He even instructed me to wake you! You have to get up!"

Harry twitched in annoyance before he rolled over and ignored the fuming Air Elemental. Christmas… this was about presents and celebrating… it was too early… He simply desired to sleep...

Draco knew immediately what Harry was planning to do. Sleeping wasn't an option on this day. Harry had seemed enthusiastic yesterday. Perhaps he underestimated what it took to wake Harry in the morning. Perhaps he just needed a little more assistance. After attempting to move Harry around, Draco childishly stomped his foot knowing his father would disprove but not really caring. Harry was frustrating.

"Damn it Harry! Get out of bed now!"

Harry growled. He'd had enough of listening to Draco it was too early in the morning for this! Using his elemental abilities and a swipe of his arm, he removed the stone beneath Draco's feet so he fell into a hole in the floor closing it up so only Draco's neck and face were visible. His head was visible and there was enough room for Draco to turn around on the spot but there was no way he was being released from the trap without Harry's help.

During the span of three seconds Draco had actually gone into shock. He hadn't realized that Harry had such control over his abilities. Not even he could do something like this on purpose but now that he looked at it Harry was half asleep... perhaps that was the reason? Harry wasn't actually paying attention so he didn't consciously trap him. When he wasn't released he gave a little wiggle.

"Harry, come on now this isn't funny. We have to be swift and return to the Dark Lord before he becomes angry at out disappearance."

The silence wasn't reassuring.

"Harry... HARRY!"

Draco huffed and promptly sneezed on the dust that was on the floor. He couldn't believe that Harry had fallen asleep again after trapping him like this. How was he supposed to know that Harry wasn't a morning person? Well at least that explained why he got along so well with Severus. They were both remarkably grouchy in the morning.

Whatever, he was now stuck until someone came to get them once they didn't show up how long that would take he didn't know. However he was praying that the Dark Lord had short patience this morning and demanded their presences quickly. That was a long shot though. He wasn't even sure whether the Dark Lord would miss their presence. Were they that important? Oh well, all he knew was that Harry was once again asleep and he was stuck in the floor whilst Christmas was happening without them. Damn he could be here for a long time.

* * *

**This is the only thing I've been able to write since I'm busy with Uni. I'll attempt to get more done for the next month. Sorry guys!**

**~MidnightEmber**


	16. Yule Cheer

**~Chapter Sixteen: Yule Cheer~**

In the lounge room of the Dark Lord's manor, Lucius, Narcissa, Voldemort, and Severus were seated waiting for Draco and Harry to return. Upon waking, Draco decided to wake everyone at five o'clock since this was their first Yule together. He would be spending the entire holiday with Harry Potter it had to be a memorable occasion. Everyone had been dragged out of bed including the Dark Lord much to the Malfoy's concern. But it appeared as if the Dark Lord found it rather amusing and had permitted the act.

Of course some of the group weren't overjoyed with how early they had been roused. Severus sat blearily to one side eyeing everything as if it had personally offended him. He was also in shock. He may have been Harry's mentor but that didn't mean he received the same privileges. Yet even Narcissa was present which spoke volumes of the Dark Lord's pleasure this morning.

In the future on a day such as this, all Elementals would be gathered together but not all of them had been discovered yet. Having all Elementals in one location would be rather interesting, Severus believed. Four different yet powerful people all in the same room as the one that controlled them would create a rather electric atmosphere. However on this day they would not witness this. Instead they would be very lucky if they witnessed anything at all.

Draco had yet to return with Harry and he'd left over an hour ago.

Everyone in the room was tense bar one furious Dark Lord. When Draco had gone to wake everyone else they had returned within fifteen minutes which he had allowed for dressing and general making themselves presentable. However this time it was taking much longer than expected and it was worrying them. The three adults could tell their Master was beginning to lose what little control he was managing. Eventually he would snap and they would proceed to Harry's room to see what had taken the enthusiastic Malfoy so long to rouse Harry Potter like he did them.

Voldemort, as believed by the others, was ready to charge to his Earth's room and tear down the door with as much force as possible. Numerous thoughts plagued him on what could be occurring behind closed doors. He knew that the Malfoy heir was close and clingy to Harry but unbidden thoughts of attraction was not something that he wanted to contemplate between them. Harry belonged to him and him alone no other would have him. He could not remain idle with these thoughts any longer!

He stood, startling his followers, storming away towards Harry's room. Narcissa, Lucius and Severus exchanged concerned glances before hurrying off behind their Master. If Draco had done something foolhardy they doubted his status would help him at all.

As they moved towards Harry's room, thoughts continuously flashed through Voldemort's mind, the other three followed worried at what they might find upon opening the door.

Draco poking Harry to wake him up…

A grumble as Harry moved in his sleep…

An innocent kiss passed between two curious teens…

Gasps of pleasure from both…

Harry pinned down beneath Draco…

Voldemort's fury spurred him further onward making the others jog to keep pace. Their Lord raged over the mystery that awaited them. Narcissa tightened the grip on the hem oh her dress hoping Draco wasn't doing anything to displease the Dark Lord. She didn't want to see her son being punished not on such a day.

The door flew open. Everyone froze.

A bundle beneath blankets was identified as the sleeping form of Harry Potter. They all blinked as they realized he was the only one in the room. Then they noticed a small round object on the floor beside the bed. It looked suspiciously like…

"About time you got here! Do you know how boring it is down here! I swear the House Elves need to do a better job I can see dust down on the floor!" Draco huffed.

A sneeze followed as Draco inhaled more dust. They all blinked. How had this happened? Lucius and Narcissa were staring horrified at the head of their son. Neither of them knew that the rest of Draco's body was simply beneath the stone and not in another part of the manor like they believed. They were terrified that their only child would eventually die from the lack of having a body.

Severus chuckled beneath his Occlumency shields. The entire scene was hilarious. This made up for Draco rousing him early in the early morning; he would have hated to miss this. The silence descended in the room remained until Draco decided to break it as his patience wore thin.

"Well are you going to get me out or not?"

"Why didn't you call a House Elf?" Lucius questioned.

"I tried!" Draco cried out. "They all shrieked and ran away."

Voldemort recovered from the shock and sudden disappearance of his rage and moved towards Harry curiously. He could assume how it happened (it was obvious Harry was vicious when he wanted to be especially with his new ability) but he didn't know what had caused such a thing to happen. Yesterday when Harry manipulated the Earth he was annoyed that no one would aid him as he got lost in the manor. Could his emotions have triggered another reaction? If so how did he undo it now that he was no longer concentrating on it? Was it a subconscious trick? He wanted to know.

Without even a glance at Draco who was still trying to get attention and help from the adults in the room, Voldemort sat down beside Harry. The child appeared to be deep asleep still beneath his blankets. Had Draco been able to even rouse Harry to begin with?

"_Harry, young one, you need to wake up now." _Voldemort hissed.

There was no way that he would say that in English at least not before his followers. It would be incriminating enough as it is if Harry repeated it to anyone which he'd better hope he didn't.

The bundle shifted slightly until Harry's head was peering out beneath the folds of the blanket sleepily at them. The entire look was adorable. Harry's hair was even more ruffled than usual and combined with a yawn and sleepy blink of his emerald eyes it made him appear almost childlike or similar to that of a kitten.

"_Come now Harry it is time you joined us for Christmas."_

"_What are you all doing here?"_

Hearing the language of the snakes spoken by two Parselmouths sent shivers down the spine of everyone in the room (not that anyone could see Draco's spine). When he wasn't speaking to Nagini, Voldemort almost made the sound sensual like Harry did even more so when they spoke together. It was downright sinful and something they all desired to keep hidden from their master.

"_We came to check what was taking Draco so long to wake you." _Voldemort replied.

Draco? Harry blinked at them all and then looked around his room. There wasn't any sign of Draco anywhere. What did Voldemort mean by Draco taking so long? He'd never been here had he? Thinking back he had a faint recollection of a blond person standing before him before he disappeared from view and Harry went back to sleep. Could that person have been Draco and if so where was he now?

Severus seemed to sense Harry's confusion and gave him a pointed look before glancing at the floor next to his bed. Slightly confused he leaned over his bed and came face to face with the head of Draco Malfoy. His eyes widened then realization came over him. He had trapped Draco when he hadn't desired to get up. Instead of using magic to get him out of the room like he had intended and leave him alone he had trapped the boy instead.

"Ah… eh, good morning Draco…" he said cautiously, getting a glare in return.

Harry sent Severus a sheepish look. He hadn't meant to do something like that. From the books he'd read this was slightly more advanced than what Voldemort thought he currently should be. He was meant to have no knowledge of how to work his abilities apart from by instinct, according to the Dark Lord. Voldemort was meant to teach him. Harry was blowing their secret. There was nothing for it however. He would need to reverse it.

Knowing the Dark Lord watched eagerly, Harry concentrated before flicking his wrist. The ground beneath Draco shook as it rose back to its original place. Draco huffed and dusted himself off elegantly before ruining that image and launching back into the reason he was there in the first place, Christmas. Everyone gave a suffering sigh. Why did he have to act like a five year old when he was around Harry? At first it had been amusing now it was simply tiring.

"Now that's settled we shall leave so you may get dressed." Lucius said grabbing his ecstatic son and dragging him from the room followed by Narcissa.

They were pleased their son was well but didn't want to remain where the Dark Lord could begin questioning him about what had occurred. It was safer for now just to leave.

Harry yawned and was about to crawl back beneath the covers when he was held back. Severus was holding him by his arm scowling while Voldemort watched from where he was still sitting at the end of the bed. He didn't look too pleased that Severus was touching him at all but what could he do about it? Nothing really, since it wasn't a crime to be dragged out of bed (though Harry would have liked to protest otherwise).

"If I am unable to sleep on this _joyous _of occasions than neither are you Mr Potter now get up." Severus lectured.

Pouting at his mentor, he received another scowl in return before being literally dragged towards the walk in wardrobe which he had been avoiding entering at all costs. Last time he had entered that monstrosity the night before, he almost lost himself trying to locate a pair of pyjamas. Seriously who thought that clothes actually had an opinion on what he should wear (especially to bed?!) and attacked him to make him choose?

For some reason, they behaved when Severus entered with him. Perhaps they could sense that he had no fashion sense (seriously he had money and yet continued to wear Dudley's rags, need he say more?) and decided to take care of it themselves? He certainly hoped not!

Severus threw some clothes at him which were surprisingly not black. Harry guessed that an entirely black wardrobe was something that Severus liked to be his alone like his billowing robe walk which Harry had tried and failed. He was given a silver dress shirt with black trousers and an emerald green robe.

"Do you have to dress me in Slytherin colours? I am still a Gryffindor!" Harry asked grumpily.

Severus however didn't answer, Voldemort did.

"You will not wear any of those hideous Gryffindor colours whilst in my presence."

Both Harry and Severus rolled their eyes even though Severus agreed with his master on that thought. Now that he noticed, none of his wardrobe contained red or gold. Not one hint of the colour could be found anywhere and that was saying something amongst the numerous clothes they had seemingly stock piled for him. Everything was either in green, blue, silver, grey or black.

Once dressed, Harry and Severus were told to follow Voldemort back to the lounge room where the Malfoy's were waiting for them to return so they could begin the festivities even though no one really celebrated Christmas at the manor. They preferred to take their entertainment elsewhere since their master didn't celebrate the holiday. For some reason however Voldemort had decided they were going to celebrate this year.

Harry knew that it had nothing to do with getting all of his followers together for the day and allowing them to mingle, it was all to do with his Elementals' and showing off their ability. Wasn't it enough that they were forced to endure lunch with every single Death Eater and their children on that day? Nope they had to get up early to open presents which would be from anyone and everyone. Harry guessed it could be worse. Some of the Death Eaters were still in Azkaban.

"Who shall go first then?" Narcissa asked as they returned to the room.

Harry couldn't be bothered to even attempt to ask since Draco was edging his way closer to the pile of presents that sat innocently beneath the tree that had turned up miraculously during the night. He knew that all of his presents would appear at the place that he was staying regardless of whether it was magical or not. What made it even worse was he knew that everyone's presents would be here so if anything remotely embarrassing was amongst the gifts it would be displayed for all to see.

Not for the first time in his life he was cursing Voldemort.

"I believe they should take it in turns." Voldemort's request was an order as usual so they all agreed merrily.

As soon as the words were spoken however Draco lunged at his first present eager to open them. The Malfoy's hardly looked impressed at his reaction unlike Severus and Voldemort who simple looked amused though it was hard to see beneath their masks. Harry however was remembering his first year when he had done the exact same thing with Ron. He'd just been so surprised and yet happy that he had presents that he hadn't cared that he'd acted like a five year old. It made him wonder slightly at Draco's home life before he was an Elemental. Had it been as uptight as they normally were in public?

He was brought from his thoughts as Draco decided to jump forward after unwrapping his present and show Harry. The present was in fact from his parents but instead of jumping on them and thanking them he was bouncing all over Harry who found it odd. It felt like he was comparing the situation to having a little brother who was clingy even though he was pretty adamant that Draco was in fact a month older than himself and taller. That seemingly just proved that the Malfoy's weren't affectionate people in public or at home.

"Harry, don't you think it's just awesome?"

The present was in fact pretty neat. It was a book on any subject titled, "The Keeping Place". All you had to do to use it was write the subject you want on the first page. The ink would then sink in and bring forth any knowledge it had on the subject. The book would then clear itself once closed and be ready to use again the next time it was opened. It was the perfect book for a student and probably one of the few in existence to date since Harry had never heard of it before.

"I like it a lot Draco it will be very useful." Harry said to placate the other boy.

"Great we can both share it then when we need to do homework! Now you get to open one!"

Harry knew most of these presents were probably for him and Draco so he didn't bother attempting to try and get the adults to open a few of their presents first. Sighing he allowed Draco to pull out the largest of the boxes for him. Looking at the card he realized it was from Sirius and Remus. That caused him great concern. They hadn't spoken at all since their time spent at Grimmauld. They weren't very close. So, what had they bought him?

Opening the box revealed nothing more than books on top. Several of them had obviously been chosen by Remus as they were about defence and magical creatures. Harry appreciated the thought really but when was he going to have time to read all of these titles? Draco appeared excited pulling a few of them out. That was when Harry recognized them and choked, hitting Draco on the hand to release the book he'd been holding.

"Harry, what's the matter?" Severus questioned.

However Narcissa was also looking pale at the sight of these books.

"Harry, are these from…" She trailed off.

"Yeah, you might want to take a look at Draco."

She rushed forward, wand out, and began scanning Draco for curses. The other three looked concerned and yet also curious. As one they turned to Harry for an explanation.

"These books could only be from one place since Sirius can't leave the Order's hideout." Harry cringed. "All of these books came from the Black Library."

He might not have been able to say exactly where Grimmauld was but he could tell mention other details in passing. At least then they wouldn't become too angered by the fact he hadn't mentioned it. Yet none of the group appeared all too pleased with this turn of events. The Black Family were considered Dark for a reason and it wasn't their hair. Harry couldn't believe Sirius and Remus had actually touched these books.

"Black has never had trouble with the library before now." Severus muttered.

He couldn't recall an instant where Black had any problem with the house apart from how dirty it was or the memories it held.

"Yeah, that would be my fault. First of all, Sirius never cared about the Black Library. He's never really cared for anything in that house which is why everything looks the way it does. Secondly, well Sirius isn't actually the Lord of House Black. His incarceration meant he couldn't accept the Lordship especially since he's on the run. Then add to the fact that his mother practically gave up on him and that leaves everything to be placed onto me. The Black Family home currently being used by the Order truly belongs to me or it will when I come of age." Harry admitted.

Voldemort chuckled. He couldn't believe that such a worthy place had been found. Though this manor was indeed large, it wasn't magical. The Black Family home would indeed by quite worthy to sustain as a home for his Elementals when his Earth could finally claim it.

"I believe something should be done about the books." Lucius reminded them.

Draco was deemed healthy though his parents would watch him for the next forty-eight hours just to be safe.

"Kreacher…" Harry called.

The slight pop was all anyone needed to know the Black's house elf had answered Harry's call. Of course it was curious that Kreacher had been permitted to leave the house at all. He still had to follow Sirius' demands until Harry turned of age. This was a serious breach of security for the Order that the Dark Lord now knew.

"What's Master be wanting?"

The house elf looked very eager to serve especially realizing he was surrounded by people worthy to be in his master's presence. No longer was he surrounded by Light Loving fools.

"Kreacher, please check these books for curses. I don't want anyone here to become inhibited by them." Harry instructed.

Kreacher snapped his fingers and the atmosphere appeared lighter. Harry dismissed Kreacher and reached to replace the books only to find one last book hidden beneath the rest. The book was titled "Trickster" by the Marauders. The book had been put together by the Marauders and Harry couldn't have been happier to have it. Not because of what lay beneath the cover but because it was another connection to his father. This gift was the only gift Harry appreciated from them.

Severus leaned forward and snatched the book scowling at the authors.

"You had better not use anything within this book whilst you're here." He warned.

Harry smirked. "Does that mean I can use it on certain people at school?"

The slight nod was all he needed for approval. He knew better than to attempt using this on Lucius or Severus. They wouldn't permit something like that knowing who would be behind it. Harry didn't even bother with the note Sirius and Remus had sent with it realizing it wouldn't be pleasant to read all about the Light and why he wasn't spending Yule with them. He threw it away.

The group continued to open presents. The Weasley's had sent him a jumper as per usual that he threw away uninterested as well as several smaller gifts from Ron and Ginny as well as Hermione. He didn't particularly care for their gifts any more knowing they were traitors to him. Fred and George's gift was the only one the held any interest. Numerous gag gifts and pranks were packed into a tiny box. The collection was small but approved by marketing or so the twins explained. They wouldn't do any irreversible damage.

As well as this he collected several other small gifts from other friends such as Neville and Luna. Some Gryffidors had sent him small tokens as well though he couldn't explain to the others why this was. He wouldn't tell them they were a thankyou gift for accepting their refusal to fight in the upcoming war.

Harry didn't pay much attention to what the others surrounding him received as they were obviously not meant for children especially the presents the Dark Lord was receiving out of obligation. All of his gifts were high priced as if all his followers were fighting to be the one to give their master the best gift possible. They wouldn't even be rewarded for it and that made them try harder. Harry guessed that they were all attempting to buy back Voldemort's forgiveness for abandoning him and believing he was actually dead. He almost snickered at the thought. They could be grovelling for a while yet.

Everyone was busy opening presents, everyone except Severus. Harry watched as his mentor sat in his seat a look of acceptance on his face. Numerous presents sat opened around them. Yet Severus still sat with nothing. No one was heading towards him bringing a gift. However Harry knew that Lucius and Severus were old friends and Severus was Draco's godfather. Still he accepted he wasn't to receive anything.

Harry scowled before taking up the present he knew belonged to Severus. He stood and walked away from the Dark Lord to stand beside his mentor. This would be a present he wasn't ever bound to forget. This would be a present none of them would forget.

"Happy Yule, Severus." Harry said handing the gift to him.

Silence surrounded them. Harry watched as his mentor held the present like it would break should he hold it too firmly. The care revealed in his actions showed the others that Severus didn't know what to do with it. Severus didn't simply sit in the corner to distance himself from the holiday. Severus had never really had a Yule holiday spent where he could enjoy it. Harry would be the first to grant him that over his long-time friends.

The gift Harry had given Severus sent them all gapping in disbelief. It was a large storage container filled with Basilisk parts. He didn't even have to guess where he retrieved these from (though he wondered at when he managed to enter the Chamber to get them) and thought it was best not to actually bring it up before the Dark Lord but he loved it nonetheless and knew that this wasn't the entire beast. Since the creature was so rare not many people actually had Basilisk parts to buy and now he had practically an endless supply for life. Severus' eyes were shining.

Harry was delighted to see that Severus appreciated the gift since it had taken him awhile to obtain it. It was impossible to get during the day as he was constantly watched by Lucius, Dumbledore and practically everyone at Hogwarts as Draco dragged him from class to class with a surprisingly bubbly attitude. That left only night to go to the Chamber in the first place. Five nights later and he had enough to fill the container and he wasn't even one eighth of the way through carving the Basilisk up.

Severus motioned for Harry to come to him. Without question Harry moved closer and gasped as his normally snarly professor pulled him into a hug. Everything was silent as Severus hugged Harry who returned it after regaining his wits. Sure it had been a good present but that was it. He hadn't expected to have this type of reaction not that he didn't like it at all. Far from it, he enjoyed having someone who would willingly hug him like this. Sirius and Remus didn't really do anything like this. It was more a pat on the head or a peck on the forehead than anything like this. His other friends only slung arms around his shoulders so he was terribly unused to this. Harry basked in the moment for a while longer before he felt Severus pulling back.

Severus reached into his robes and pulled out a small box before handing it to Harry. "This is my present to you."

Smiling in gratitude, Harry sat at Severus' feet not bothering to realize that they were the centre of attention now that Harry had moved permanently away from the Dark Lord and Draco before the tree to Severus who was further away from the group.

Harry gasped as he opened his gift. The box itself had been small but that hadn't bothered Harry after all he hadn't expected to get anything from Severus at all regardless of their current relationship. Inside was a small circular silver pendant on a thin silver chain. The pendant was covered in engravings that Harry guessed were Runes of some sort. In the centre though was a small emerald the same shade as his eyes. It was beautiful and he loved it.

Knowing what Severus wanted to do he handed it to him so his mentor could place it around his neck. Once the pendant was fastened it fell just above his neckline and would obviously show when he was wearing it. Immediately he turned to his mentor who was watching him with a small smile. Not the first the he had ever seen but it was rare for his Professor to smile in an unknown location.

"What does it do? I can tell that it is not simply an ordinary pendant." Harry enquired.

"It is for protection. The pendant shall protect you from minor hexes and curses such as jelly legs and also doubles as an emergency portkey. Inside the emerald contains my magical signature, when the portkey is activated it shall focus on the magical signature and take you directly to me wherever I am." Severus explained glad to see Harry liked his gift as much as he had liked Harry's. "All you have to do is use its password, which you already know from our discussions and you shall be brought to me."

"If it does all of those things then I'll never take it off." Harry beamed.

It was a touching moment of bonding one that Voldemort didn't like. Standing he glared at Severus who was still watching _his _Harry and stalked towards them purposefully allowing the Malfoy's a chance to leave before he got violent which they did gratefully. They had enjoyed their Christmas and were more than ready to leave before things got out of hand which with their Lord's temper knew it would.

The instant Voldemort reached the pair he grabbed Harry's shoulder and jerked him up to his feet dragging him across the room and depositing him in an empty chair. Harry had been in shock when he'd felt the hand close on his shoulder. He had never been handled like this before even by the Dursley's so why did Voldemort do it? He came back into focus when he was practically thrown into the chair.

"Crucio!"

Harry could only watch as Severus was subject to the Cruciatus curse. It wasn't that he was unable to move something told him to remain where he was or he would also be subject to his master wrath as well. Where had his Gryffindor courage gone? He was supposed to save people from suffering in pain and here he was sitting while his mentor and friend was writhing on the floor. Harry knew that it was partly shock that was making him immobile yet that had never stopped him before. It was pathetic and he knew that he should do something. He should help his friend!

"_Don't even think about it."_

The sudden hiss brought him out of his thoughts. Voldemort while using the Cruciatus was looking directly at him with eyes that penetrated him knowingly.

"_This is his punishment and you shall not interfere, little one. I do not wish to harm you like I am him but if you were to move from your place than you shall share his torture."_

"What are you punishing him for?" Harry spoke in English not wishing to speak to him privately.

"_He got too close to what is mine. Severus should know better than that by now."_

Harry knew that it was ridiculous. He didn't belong to anyone and yet he remained where he was seated in submission. This was one of those times he absolutely abhorred having these abilities. He could do nothing for Severus even when he desperately wanted to. The only outcome he could hope for was that Voldemort would stop soon and Severus wouldn't blame him. Harry wouldn't be able to stand it if Severus blamed him for this since he had really come to appreciate his help and guidance.

After a minute Voldemort finally stopped the Cruciatus and allowed Severus to rise to a kneeling position on the floor before him. Harry could see the shivers that Severus was trying to suppress but the only thing that would help him was the Anti-Cruciatus Potion that was at Hogwarts waiting for him. Harry hoped that Voldemort allowed him to leave so he could get it even if that meant leaving Harry alone with him for the remainder of the holidays.

"Do you comprehend now Severus? Harry is mine and you shan't be getting close to him like that. Now you will leave my manor and you won't return unless you are called specifically ordered to do so, do you understand?"

Voldemort practically hissed in English. It wasn't a pleasant sight and Harry could only assume that whatever happened this morning when he thought of Draco and Harry was causing this exact reaction.

"Yes my Lord."

Severus immediately stood and with only a cursory glance at Harry left the room and the manor. However with that one look he had conveyed to Harry a silent message of trust and loyalty. There was nothing in it that said he was furious with him or that he was even angry. The fact was that Severus understood what was happening and accepted it leaving instead of making everything else worse for the both of them. Harry was simply glad that Severus could leave and get the treatment he needed to help with the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. That was what had initially worried Harry so much in the first place.

Harry turned his attention unwillingly back to Voldemort as the door closed behind Severus.

"You and I will spend the rest of the day alone together then seeing as the Malfoy's have left and Severus has been sent away." Voldemort stated not giving Harry any room to argue.

Displeasure instantly fed into Harry. This was the last thing he wanted to do on Christmas which was the main reason he had desired to remain asleep the entire day. Oh well he just hoped that perhaps New Year would be slightly better than this.

* * *

**Mwahaha! A new chapter. And another shall be out within the next few days. Progress!**

**~MidnightEmber**


	17. Luna

**~Chapter Seventeen: Luna~**

Yule had been an incredibly long day. Harry couldn't believe what he'd been dragged through. Certainly he'd known that being amongst Death Eaters he would witness some atrocious things. However he'd assumed those things would have been turned towards people he either didn't know or people that betrayed him. He'd never thought Severus would take the brunt of an attack. He was naïve to believe status would protect those he cared for and his day only become more abhorrent.

First, true to the Dark Lord's word, Harry spent the entire day within Voldemort's presence. No one disturbed them. Harry wanted to speak about Severus yet knew it wouldn't be the wisest of choices. It would only incur the Dark Lord's wrath upon them all once again. Instead they had spent the time basking in the awkwardness between them, the entire atmosphere in the lounge room rather tense.

Voldemort had chosen to sit by the fireplace and read. At first it hadn't been so bad. Voldemort concentrated on his book while Harry read through his Trickster guide from the Marauders just to spite him. However as a Gryffindor and not a very studious person at the best of times, reading could only hold his attention for a short while. The silence eventually caused Harry to enquire whether he could return to his rooms.

Second, on his incredibly long day, he'd been ordered to remain in the room.

He had not enjoyed it a single bit.

Sure he'd managed to create a rough outline of how he would tackle pranking people at Hogwarts. He'd also managed to spend some time with Nagini who wasn't actually bad once they overcame the tense situation of her desiring to eat him last year. It had definitely been a new experience testing out his Parseltongue and not being reprimanded for it. However that hadn't alleviated the still awkward situation between him and the Dark Lord.

Voldemort had spent the entire time reading and silently fuming that Harry wasn't speaking to him. Nagini was the better conversationalist however so Harry didn't really care. If the mighty Dark Lord wanted to pout, who was he to stop him?

Finally however they needed to eat dinner. (lunch had been eaten in the solace of the lounge room) Then there was the arduous journey of trekking back to Harry's room. He certainly wasn't looking forward to being alone with the man. At least in the lounge room he'd had Nagini. Here he was alone. Finally Voldemort deemed it necessary to speak to him.

"Did you enjoy your day, young one?"

Harry wished the Dark Lord would cease calling him that.

"It was eventful." Harry mumbled. "It would have been better if everyone had been present."

A growl echoed from Voldemort down the hallway. Harry knew he'd misspoken and angered the man once again. His actions seemed to be doing that with increasing frequency. He just didn't particularly care for the man's company. After all he did kill his parents and cause him to be left with the Dursleys. Then of course there was the torture of Severus and Harry's torture last year. Everything added up.

"Do not speak of these matters again."

Of course the Dark Lord didn't want Harry to speak of this. The man simply couldn't handle anyone else claiming Harry in any sense of the word regardless if they had a platonic relationship. Harry didn't even know what Voldemort wanted from him and it confused him to no end trying to figure it out. This possessiveness wasn't something he was used to at all. Rather he was used to being completely ignored until someone needed him for a chore or to save someone or something.

This darkened his thoughts. The summer holidays seemed to be fast approaching signalling his return to the Dursleys. Logically he knew that Severus wouldn't allow him to ever step foot at Privet Drive again. Yet there would always be doubt what with the Headmaster constantly abandoning him there.

"At least at the Dursleys I suppose I can spend time by myself." He muttered.

A hand grabbed Harry's upper arm and dragged him the remainder of the way to his room. The door slammed shut behind Voldemort as Harry was pushed down onto the bed. Voldemort settled over him his breathing ragged as he tried to contain his rage. Harry tried to reign his fear but it swelled to the surface with the maniacal glint in the Dark Lord's eyes.

"Never speak of those muggles again in my presence." Voldemort growled. "You will never return to those muggles. You will return to my manor for every holiday every year you are at Hogwarts."

Harry acknowledged the order as Voldemort leant in closer with every word he spoke. The Dark Lord's breath fanned over his face as he neared. Somewhere in the back of his mind Harry realized Voldemort was pinning him down to his bed so he couldn't move from the position he was trapped in. However focus wasn't on his agenda currently.

Voldemort descended upon Harry and crushed their lips together in a desperate kiss that showed his authority and possessiveness. It was hard and rough not that Voldemort appeared to mind. To him this was simply another way of claiming Harry as his own. The kiss was awkward since Voldemort didn't have the use of his lips yet through the claiming of his two elementals. Something about it stirred an emotion in Harry that he couldn't exactly pinpoint. Perhaps he didn't desire to pinpoint it at all?

His first kiss wasn't something that he had dreamed about since he'd never really thought of being in any relationship this intimate before but he knew that it wasn't supposed to be like this between lovers or even people that cared. A caring embrace was supposed to be soft and gentle not at all like this. It was demanding, violent and controlling. Not one of those emotions depicted was what he had thought a kiss between lovers was like. It left him feeling raw and exposed and yet it felt almost… right?

A shiver went down his spine as Voldemort moved off of him to allow him to breathe. He was still resting over Harry now breathing ragged after the kiss but there was a spark in his eyes of claiming and lust that made Harry slightly uncomfortable. A hand gently caressed his face while nails scratched at his cheek as Voldemort stood and moved towards the door leaving a trail of blood where the nails had split the skin. Voldemort paused at the door licking the blood off his fingers.

"You will _always _be mine, Harry, always."

With that Voldemort left Harry after the eventful day he'd already had.

Harry remained frozen in shock. Voldemort had just… and he'd… he groaned. This relationship between Element and Master appeared more screwed up than he'd first assumed. Certainly he'd read the Master could have relationships with or without their Elements however he'd assumed the Dark Lord didn't do relationships. At the very least the man wouldn't choose him to become whatever this counted as. It appeared however that their past granted more insight to their relationship than was required.

The Dark Lord was possessive of him in ways he wouldn't be with the others. He would take care of all of them. However the man felt stronger for Earth than any other. Striking at him as a child couldn't have helped this bond at all. Their past was their connection and Harry couldn't erase that as much as he might want to.

He couldn't escape this. He couldn't even begin to think of a way out. There was none. All he could do was work to the best of his abilities and make sure that Voldemort didn't work his way into his life any further than what Harry desired. Working with this man would be tiring. But hopefully with little hints and tricks, Harry would artifice the Dark Lord into making this world a better place. For now however he would sleep and see what tomorrow would bring.

x-x-x-x-x

Honestly Harry was getting tired of this life. Draco wouldn't shut up. The following morning Harry had woken once again to Draco attempting to pull him out of bed. However instead of falling for Harry's falling trap once again, Draco floated. They'd both stared at each other for a second, the ground returning to normal as Draco floated back to the ground. The moment of euphoria had ended shortly after that.

Draco continued to prattle about his abilities and accomplishments after that. Harry knew however that while this morning's achievement was something to be proud of for the new Elemental it was far from what he was capable. However he was getting to the end of the rope with Draco. He hadn't even managed to shut his mouth for breakfast before they were off to the library.

Not only that but every turn he took a Death Eater was watching. They were waiting at a safe distance for something to occur, more than likely the use of their abilities. It was highly frustrating and Harry had had enough. He wasn't something to gawk at. The library however was one of the few locations they couldn't enter thankfully. Yet now he was stuck in the library with only Draco as company, he could almost scream.

Thankfully Draco was mostly talking to himself and not paying attention to whether or not Harry was actually listening. It was a small reprieve but one that Harry was willing to embrace. So when Voldemort finally walked into the room at half past twelve, Draco was still ranting about something or another while Harry looked amused at the ferocity of Voldie's rage at being ignored. Harry knew that Voldie was used to him ignoring the Dark Lord but his right hand man's son wasn't going to be forgiven as easily and Harry knew it to be true.

"Draco you would do well to learn when your master enters the room." Voldemort practically hissed, his eyes glowing red in anger.

Draco immediately fell to the floor on his knees while Harry snickered. Finally he had some form of entertainment.

"Yes My Lord. Forgive me for this mishap."

Voldemort turned away from Draco obviously accepting the apology though it did little to lesson his anger. Harry who was watching everything snickering from his chair nearly fell over when he turned towards him. He still refused to allow Voldemort any power over him and bowing like Draco would only give him more pleasure. However the glint in the man's eyes spoke of something else entirely.

"Come, we have some issues to discuss."

With that Voldemort turned and left the library leading the way to the Throne Room. Harry and Draco glanced at each other as they stood following. They could tell something was displeasing the man. However they needed to follow him. If they didn't they would only end up in even more trouble. His anger wasn't something the pair wanted directed at him.

The group came up to the throne room and the doors opened wandlesly and wordlessly as if sensing their presence. Harry could see Lucius and Severus were already in the room since they were the only other Death Eaters trusted with the full extent of the Elemental knowledge. The other Death Eaters certainly knew of them but not much, as they weren't privy to their master's secrets. Voldemort swept up to the throne and took the only seat in the room.

Harry couldn't help the eye roll as the three loyal servants bowed as one while he remained standing. There was no way he would show respect to the man even if he were forced into servitude via the Elemental mark. Voldemort's eyes flashed in irritation before a carefully placed mask settled over his face. He was up to something, Harry knew it but he had no idea what until he decided to voice it aloud.

"Now that we are all gathered here, Harry, you must tell me why you believe that hiding information from me is acceptable? You belong to me. So why do you continue to undermine my power? It is terribly frustrating when I know that this information is special and could be used for my cause. So tell me Harry what are you hiding from me?"

Harry froze. Out of everything the Dark Lord could have spoken that certainly wasn't what he had hoped it to be. By the parchment in Voldemort's hand, Harry deduced it was one of his letters. However it could be from anyone. To make matters worse he wasn't meant to send or receive letters yet he still had them. This spelt huge trouble.

Luckily, his master hadn't ordered him to speak otherwise Harry might have spilt many of his secrets. He couldn't risk the Neutrals like that. He couldn't risk allowing the Dark Lord to know many of these people would be leaving come the New Year as he'd planned. Harry would need to play the waiting game and see if the Dark Lord would reveal anything else.

"You still won't tell me. Why don't I read a little of the letter then perhaps that will jog your memory?"

Harry stood in horror waiting for the words to be spoken that might possibly sign his doom.

"Dear Snake, You will be pleased to know that I and my mentor are well. We are currently out of the country researching Furry Nightcrabs. The current situation with our Master shall come to a close during the Yule holidays. What the Master wants the Master shall receive for we were created to grant him his desires as his companions."

Voldemort hadn't read the entire letter out loud. Harry knew that the letter contained much more information than that though never mentioned anyone specifically if it could help it. Luna was amazingly vague at times. However enough information was present to discern that the letter was from one Elemental to another. The Dark Lord wanted to know who was writing to him. He wanted to know who the next Elemental was.

"Well, Harry, do you have anything to say now? Tell me Harry, who is the Elemental confiding in you?"

Draco gasped in delight as he thought of another sibling joining them. He would have another person to speak with, another person who he could get to cling to Harry. Reluctant though Harry was, being around other Elementals aided to ease the tension in his body. Draco would do anything to welcome this new person into their group.

The others all remained still. Another Elemental was a huge deal to the Dark Lord and to their cause. Even if this person was as reluctant as Harry, having them around would be a boost to morale. They would reveal that the Dark Lord was indeed becoming stronger and more reliable. Harry on the other hand was pale with indecision.

Harry hadn't ever wanted Luna to become entangled in this. However they had accepted there was no way out. Fighting against the tide simply didn't work. It had never worked for them before. However giving up her name now would be suspicious. Voldemort wouldn't take him seriously considering he was still playing his defiant self.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything I wish to tell you." Harry stated firmly.

"You will tell me even if I have to order you." Voldemort snarled.

Harry knew he was pushing it. Beneath all his bravado he knew he wouldn't be able to fight off an order. The last time he'd simply followed without any attempt otherwise. It had caused Severus to become injured and he wasn't going to risk it a second time. However if he didn't fight the Dark Lord would suspect something.

Then there was the information that he had on the Order of the Phoenix. That wasn't as safe as Dumbledore believed. Sure he wouldn't be able to say anything under Veritaserum or aloud but he would be able to if he was ordered to by his Master. Then everything would be out.

"Tell me, Harry, who is the elemental?" 

A calm settled over Harry as he heard Voldemort's voice drift towards him. His eyes lost focus and it felt like he was floating in a sea of black staring up at the night sky. It was pure bliss yet something didn't feel right at all. This feeling was familiar and not in a reassuring way. The sensation didn't compare to the first time he'd been ordered.

"Come now Harry you mustn't keep information from your Master. Who is the next elemental?"

Suddenly it all clicked into place. This feeling was just like the Imperius Curse. Yet it wasn't like the forced comfort of the Imperius Curse. This order felt like comfort. He was granting information to his master which he should have done in the first place. Wasn't it just easier to give the information up?

"Your water Elemental is Luna." Harry gritted the words out.

Harry knew this is what Luna had witnessed seeing before the holidays began. She had attempted to warn him, to reassure him, and yet it still did nothing to prepare him. He didn't like to hand people over to the Dark Lord even if they knew it was going to happen one way or another. His morals simply wouldn't allow for that to happen. However this brought out new opportunities for them.

Luna would no longer have to hide away when Draco was around. Instead she could join them and he wouldn't feel the despair knowing she was being bullied by others when she was away. He understood she could see what others were even afraid to admit. Certainly she couldn't place these things into accurate or understandable words but that didn't stop him from understanding. She chose her own interpretation to the world and he understood what she spoke of.

Voldemort sat smiling. He didn't show any smugness in his actions and yet Harry knew that it was there. The Dark Lord wouldn't be able to help feeling it just a little bit. Harry only glared in response. Everything so far was orchestrated and he wasn't about to ruin everything by revealing he didn't care about folding to the order.

"Well that certainly saves your lover from being harmed." The smugness radiated in his voice.

Harry frowned in bafflement. What on earth was he talking about?

"I don't have a lover." Harry blushed.

He knew that as a teenage boy he shouldn't have problems with such things especially given his celebrity status however he was pathetic. Everyone wanted to date him but he was clueless when it came to romance. No one appeared to jump out at him and yet the few that attempted to get close and that could have been something simply were ignored. He was hopeless.

Voldemort however has other ideas. His eyes turned towards Severus.

Harry blinked. The Dark Lord believed Severus was his lover. He'd never even considered it. It just didn't seem right that Severus and he should even begin a relationship of that sort. Sure they spoke and they argued but it was more friendly bordering on parental because of the difference in their age and the relationship Severus had had with his mother. There was no physical attraction between them what so ever and to think so was ludicrous.

He had no idea how Voldemort came up with that idea but Harry couldn't help it. He stated laughing which in turn caused Severus to laugh as well. The tense air in the room suddenly vanished to be replaced by confusion from the other three in the room.

Why were they laughing at that particular accusation? It was reasonable wasn't it? After all they did spend an awful amount of time together even for a mentor and student. They were close and anyone would be able to see that. Anyone in their position would believe the same thing wouldn't they? So, why were Severus and Harry laughing at them like idiots?

"What do you find so humorous?" Voldemort hissed.

He was furious that his minions weren't behaving like they were supposed to. There was nothing humorous about his future consort messing around with another man when he knew of it. Severus was the one to answer since Harry couldn't stop laughing.

"Forgive us my Lord but we hadn't believed you or anyone else had perceived our relationship as such." He said bowing his head in respect.

"Then what is it?" the Dark Lord demanded.

"Our relationship was originally a mentor/student bond but it changed into more of a parental bond. Severus sees himself as my adoptive father and I see myself as his adoptive son. He desires to protect me as such regardless of whoever he pisses off to achieve this. His first duty would be to protect the one person he sees as a son not as a lover. There is no physical attraction between us." Harry said looking sincere.

"You have never…" Lucius trailed off.

"No we've never slept or even thought about sleeping together. It would be weird and not something I would do with my father of all people."

Draco looked thoroughly confused now though a mixture of disgust was present probably at the imagined thought of sleeping with his father. Harry didn't blame him incest simply wasn't something to be attracted to.

"But I have seen you at times and you look far more comfortable around each other than simple relatives."

Severus and Harry both sighed. How long did it take to explain this to them? It looked like they were about to be given a lesson in Elemental bonding though neither wanted to reveal how much they knew.

"We have said that at times our relationship is more friendly than parental. It all depends on what Harry needs at the time a confident, a father, or even someone who will listen to him. The bond between a mentor and the Elemental is ever changing because it will always take care of what the Elemental needs. The Mentor fits that description because we are the ones that teach or aid the elementals as much as possible during their beginning years." Severus began.

"During this teaching time the Elemental draws everything from their mentor. It will draw emotions and knowledge. Since normally Elementals are discovered at a young age the bond is formed over a few years before it stabilizes into something more solid once the Elemental figures out what it needs the most whether that be a father, confident or perhaps even lover." Harry continued ignoring the growl that came from Voldemort at the mentioned word of lover.

"However when the bond began to form that was the first thing we crossed out. Neither of us is remotely attracted to each other so there isn't any worry from that. However the bond hasn't settled and won't for a few years meaning that our relationship will pass between different phases until it has settled." Severus finished.

Harry looked over at Draco and Lucius knowing immediately that they were going to begin questioning their bond as a natural response.

"You two don't have to worry over anything. Even if you didn't realize what Draco truly was you developed a bond when he was younger as a parental bond and that solidified when you both realized that Draco was an Elemental. It won't change just because you suddenly realized what Draco truly is."

The tense air around them had disappeared completely due to the simple fact that Severus and Harry weren't interested in dating each other. If that was all it took to make Voldemort pleased, Harry would have said that weeks ago just to make him less ferocious when it came to Severus. At least then he would have been able to save the man some pain but with Voldemort still partly insane he doubted that was going to suddenly fix itself. The torture was likely going to remain for a while.

All eyes snapped towards the door as it opened with ease. Harry sighed as the Water Elemental walked into the room followed by her father. It was useless to try and keep her from these situations if she planned on making entrances like that. The Dark Lord could have simply cursed her first and asked questions later. However since she was here now.

"Master," Harry gritted out, "may I present to you, your Water elemental, Luna Lovegood."

Luna was dressed as she normally did in her multicoloured stripped leggings, a dark blue skirt and robe. Her wand was tucked behind her ear which had her radishes hanging from the lobes. All in all she looked as she usually did though that didn't stop everyone else from sneering at her. Her father followed her though he didn't look as confident as Luna did though confident wasn't the right word to use to describe Luna.

Luna was lost in her own world and wasn't truly paying attention to her surroundings. Her eyes were slightly glassy though Harry guessed that was from attempting to locate their position rather than actually day dreaming. She was skipping which seemed to cause Lucius to glare for some reason. Perhaps he didn't approve of her? Not that it mattered, the only person who truly got to approve of her was the Dark Lord who was looking like he swallowed a lemon regardless of the fact that she was an Elemental and a pureblood.

Harry was standing by Severus who at least now was seen as his mentor or father and not as his lover no matter how ludicrous it sounded. He could see the disgusted looks Lucius was already giving Luna, Draco looked as if Christmas had come around again at seeing another Elemental and Severus was simply staring disbelieving at her. Voldemort kept his face carefully blank. Harry knew though that none of them believed him when he said this person was an elemental.

Luna walked in with a serene look on her face probably the first person ever to do so and stood before her master without a worry.

"The Hawk has satisfied its appetite where it usually searches. The basilisk has now the Fish, the Snake and the Hawk caught in its jaw. The Scorpion however remains undecided. How goes the search for the desert dweller?"

The silence surrounding the room was heavy in incredulity. Luna was a seer in her own unique way which Harry attributed to the fact she was an Elemental. At times it was difficult to understand what she spoke of but Harry had never had that problem. No matter what was spoken of he could always decipher Luna's ramblings even if this one was one of her more simple predictions. Noticing the blank looks on the others faces he spoke up.

"Yes everything went as you said it would Luna. I am hoping the future looks better than it is currently. On other news, the search for the Scorpion isn't moving very well. Have you seen something that could help us in our search?"

Now it was everyone's turn to look at Harry in incredulity. Surely no one could interpret the ramblings of this child? She was obviously off her rocker and the fact that Harry was speaking to her along the same lines didn't settle their belief in either of their mentality.

"The Scorpion is bidding its time though it will be in contact with the Snake soon. It is unsure of how our Master shall accept him given whom he is and who our Master is. Though this Elemental is fiery he is cautious and willing to serve anyone as long as he can remain away from his family. The only judgement apart from his own that he trusts is the Snake's and will turn to the Snake when in doubt."

Severus was the only one attempting to try and decipher what they were speaking of while the other three remained clueless in their discussion. Eventually he managed to piece it together though Harry guessed it was due to the fact he had read the entire Slytherin Elemental Collection meaning he knew what it was the Water would be. It just took some guess work to figure out what Luna meant when she was talking of the animals in her speech not that it wasn't obvious when you thought about it long enough. Piece everything together and the picture came together.

Truly it wasn't that difficult but for a group who boasted of their own cunning they didn't pick up on things very swiftly when they were in an unknown code. Voldemort was the first to get annoyed.

"Who is she and what is she speaking of?"

Harry sighed. Now he had to explain this all over again. Wouldn't that be fun? Not. Why couldn't these people pay any attention when it concerned others especially when it actually did concern them in the long run?

"Actually Harry may I give an interpretation of Miss Lovegood's words?"

Of course he was willing to allow Severus an attempt to decipher his sister's words. If someone else could also understand her even if it took some time to think through them he would be grateful that he wouldn't always have to play interpreter.

"I believe what Miss Lovegood's attempting to say is Draco who is the Hawk has finished his search at Hogwarts after locating the Snake which is Harry and the Fish which is Miss Lovegood. However the last Elemental is no longer at Hogwarts so the search would have to continue elsewhere. Am I correct in my assumption so far?"

Luna smiled serenely obviously lost once again in her own world so Harry confirmed it and urged him to continue.

"Next she spoke that the Fire Elemental is uncertain in how to proceed not only because of who the Elemental's Master is but because he is uncertain as to how the Dark Lord would react to the family he was born to. The next Elemental is cautious and only trusts in Harry who he will contact first upon making his final decision. How did I do?"

Harry nodded. Everything he had spoken had been accurate.

"You forgot to add though that the Fire Elemental also happens to be estranged from his family and no longer cares what they think. They seem to hold a high amount of respect for me though. That narrows it down to a family from the Light side that know of me and have an estranged son."

Severus sighed. That could be just about anyone from any family. It didn't really help at all in this situation. There were a number of families that had decided to support the Light but some members had decided they didn't want to be part of a war and turned neutral leaving their families. The families of said people had no choice but to let them leave since they didn't really want them to be lost in the war either. Nothing was ever simple when it came to war.

Voldemort was severely frustrated now. He'd asked for the name of his Elemental and this girl had arrived out of nowhere speaking nonsense that only Harry knew how to decipher instinctively and Severus had managed to do as well. It irked him but he at least knew who this was now. It was obvious to him that this was his Water Elemental.

Slytherin's Water Elemental had always had the gift of divination. There had been no in depth descriptions of how they had acted but this was enough proof to reveal to him how difficult it would be to interpret her when he didn't have Harry or Severus around. He knew that both Lucius and Draco had no idea what she was talking about and Lucius actually seemed to be disgusted with the poor girl. That wouldn't last long once she was claimed but he knew that Lucius despised that she dressed like she'd been blindfolded at the time.

He wouldn't change that since it was part of her personality and more than likely a direct effect caused by his insanity during the years. While Draco represented what he was current motives were and Harry represented what his past had been like, Luna represented the time in his life where he had been completely insane. She represented the side that believed in divination. With this in mind he couldn't help but wonder what his Fire Elemental would be like. He would just have to be patient and wait.

"Come forward my dear."

Luna did as she was told in a dreamlike state. Harry sighed. He knew that she was giving up her freedom when she had turned up here but he couldn't help but feel responsible. The most likely scenario that led to this situation was that she saw the torture of one of her fellow Elementals and desired to cease it before it went too far and their Master did something regrettable. There was only one good thing that came out of this and that was the sanity of the Dark Lord returning.

Luna walked up and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the band on her left wrist identical to the ones that Draco and Harry shared yet in different colours. Where Harry's was green and black, Draco's was silver and black, Luna had blue and black.

Voldemort stood and circled her in contemplation before grabbing her arm and looking directly into her eyes.

"Luna Lovegood you are my Water Elemental."

Both Draco and Harry hissed as their bands also burnt with the claiming. Each time it burnt it confirmed that another of the group had returned to its rightful place. Harry had to admit that it was intriguing to witness the actual claiming unlike his own however he was still upset Luna had to join because of him. Once it was done Voldemort returned to his throne.

His appearance had changed yet again. His skin no longer had any scales on them that reminded them all of an actual snake rather than a human. His nose had finally completely returned as had his lips. Red eyes still remained and he didn't have all of his hair back yet and not to the correct shade either. His ears were smaller than usual but present and his skin was still pale. He was also no longer just skin and bones. It actually looked like he had gained some weight which made him more attractive. All in all he was beginning to regain the looks he had when he was the charming Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Your father need not join my circle of followers however I would like you to publish certain information in your magazine on occasion. Of course you will have full editing rights as long as it does not deviate from what I want to let the public know."

Luna's father nodded in agreement before ushering his daughter out. Voldemort had a smirk on his face and Harry decided instantly that he didn't like it one bit. The others had noticed as well and cringed slightly knowing this would be trouble for all who served their master.

"My Lord what is it?" Lucius asked cautiously.

The smirk grew.

"My faithful I do believe it is time to move up our plans."

Yep that smirk spelt trouble for them all.

* * *

**Mwahaha. I feel evil. This chapter has been finished for a month. Oh well, hope you enjoyed it.**

**~MidnightEmber**


	18. A Way Out Part 1

**~Chapter Eighteen: A Way Out Part 1~**

That night found Harry at his first ever Death Eater meeting. To say he was less than pleased was an understatement. He stood with Draco and Luna to the left of the Dark Lord's throne while Lucius was to the right. Severus was down in the first line of Death Eaters along with the Inner Circle; though many of them weren't present. The Inner Circle held Azkaban as their home and had done for many years. Tonight however that was about to change.

Harry stared blankly around the room trying to detach from the situation. Severus would have to inform Dumbledore about the meeting which given the circumstances would also include a mention of the Elementals. It may have been unavoidable but Harry still desired to wait before that blow out happened. Instead he focused on Draco and Luna.

Draco seemed to pride himself on being boosted in over the Inner Circle's heads to stand beside their master. Of course for the son of a Death Eater not to mention the right hand man, it certainly was a huge achievement at such a young age. So he stood like his father, straight-backed with his chin tilted upwards arrogantly. It created an image of self-importance none but the Malfoy's could possess.

Luna, as usual, was busy searching for creatures she would tell him about later. She even had her goggles on and was looking around quite obviously, causing the Death Eaters nearby to shift away. No one told her off for wandering around the Dark Lord's chamber knowing they would be instantly punished. Her father wasn't present since he was neutral and couldn't take part in any meetings but that didn't appear to bother her too much. Harry knew that she was entirely focused on locating her creatures.

Sighing quietly, Harry turned his attention towards Voldemort who looked utterly uninterested. Not surprisingly really when you thought about some of the reports his followers returned with. They weren't only dull but they hadn't accomplished anything notable. They were utterly useless and it didn't reflect well upon the people bringing the news in. How were they to win a war when the leader did all the work?

As if sensing Harry's thoughts, Voldemort turned towards him and smirked with an unholy gleam in his eyes. Harry didn't even bother reacting to him. It wasn't worth his time to worry over what evil thing the Dark Lord would plot next. Whatever it was would happen regardless of his protests.

The Death Eaters had probably been simply thrown off guard with their master's appearance. Though less snake, it was obvious the Voldemort wasn't entirely human. Yet his power washed through the room brushing against as many people in an intimidation tactic. It was a wonder some of the Outer Circle Death Eaters hadn't fallen into whimpering piles. Wait... never mind. Harry watched as a few heads bobbed and fell from view.

The endless reports finished and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. This may have been his first meeting but he never wanted to stand through that again. Unfortunately the Dark Lord wasn't finished yet. Harry almost groaned in impatience for this all to end.

"My faithful, as you can see we have three familiar faces to my left." Voldemort began standing before his followers.

Oh dear Merlin, Harry thought, the Dark Lord is parading us before his Death Eaters. What else is going to occur during this meeting that I don't want to hear about?

Harry didn't even bother turning to look their way he just kept an eye on Luna who was half way down the chamber practically combing through an Outer Circle Death Eater's hair. The poor man was horribly flustered, attempting to pay attention to his master. Even if it was funny no one dared to snicker at his misfortune.

"Elementals have been tied to my ancestral line since Salazar Slytherin and now I have been blessed with them as well. It is time, my followers, that you are introduced to these individuals who hold the key to our victory."

The Dark Lord stood motioning towards them grandly.

"Draco Malfoy is my Air Elemental. He is loyal to our cause through this father, Lucius. Luna Lovegood is my Water Elemental though she comes from a neutral family. Then there is Harry." Voldemort paused to turn to Harry who was doing his best to ignore this pompos gesture. "He is my Earth Elemental as some of you have come to realize."

"They hold significant value to me and you will not touch them. Only I have the pleasure of punishing them for either failure or disloyalty. If you choose to ignore this I will use the same curse you used but tenfold." Voldemort hissed, baring his teeth.

The entire group agreed with a simple, "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort's smirk grew with his next words. Harry froze.

"With their aid our plans shall be enacted tonight. With the dawn of the New Year approaching we shall go and retrieve the remainder of your number from their imprisonment in Azkaban."

Cheers erupted from the gathering. Having the strongest of their number amongst them would grant them even greater power. Even currently they outstripped the Order of the Phoenix ten to one. With their stronger allies they would utterly obliterate the Light when the time came. It would be swift and leave none questioning who the true power in this world was.

"Indeed and with my beloved Elementals it shall be an easy task to accomplish. Head outside my faithful and be prepared to apparate. My Elementals, you shall apparate with your mentors." Voldemort instructed.

As soon as he finished speaking, his minions began to move as instructed. Apparating could only occur on the grounds thanks to Voldemort's paranoia. Anyone attempting such a feat would immediately bounce off the wards. Anyone stupid enough to attempt apparating into Voldemort's lair deserved to bounce off the wards.

Sighing, Harry made to move towards Severus but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh no dear one, you shall accompany me while Luna travels with Severus." A voice whispered in his ear.

Harry cringed. He'd known Voldemort wouldn't allow him to travel with Severus even with the whole relationship thing sorted out but he didn't want to arrive in the one place he probably hated the most with the person he hated the most. It would bring back a whole lot of unwanted memories he didn't want to have to deal with.

Severus seemed to understand this and attempted to intervene. "My Lord, Harry has a rather severe reaction when it comes to the Dementors perhaps it would be more prudent if he were to travel with someone who didn't cause them to swarm him?"

Voldemort didn't even reply to Severus. He simply gripped Harry's shoulder tighter and manoeuvred him out the door and into the crowed of already waiting Death Eaters. Harry really didn't want to go to Azkaban regardless of whether or not he was setting prisoners free. He just didn't ever want to come across another Dementor.

"Follow me my faithful." Voldemort hissed eagerly as he wrapped an arm more securely around Harry before disapparating.

Harry swayed a little as they touched ground once again but luckily Voldemort had yet to relinquish his grip so he didn't tumble. He knew the man was simply keeping him close because he was awfully possessive but he was glad that Voldemort hadn't allowed him to tumble to the ground before the Death Eaters. His pride would never have recovered from that.

Upon gaining his bearings he looked around to realize he wasn't actually on the island yet. The group had apparated as close to the shoreline as possible knowing that the wards prevented all from apparating or disapparating on the island. From Sirius' stories he had told of only a single boat that transported prisoners to and from the prison so how were they going to get across. Harry looked around and realized that many of the other Death Eaters shared his own confusion yet none were willing to ask the Dark Lord who was simply standing at the shoreline looking out towards the island.

There was no way that everyone would be able to get across on that slim little boat that barely looked capable to carry one person over. The Dementors wouldn't come to them in aid either. Their only interest resided in taking the souls of men. So who was going to get them across? Harry cursed silently to himself as Voldemort turned to look directly at him.

Voldemort obviously believed his Elementals were strong enough to get an entire army of Death Eaters from one destination to another. Harry simply stared at him in disbelief. How could the Dark Lord just appear here and demand something none of them have practised beforehand? They could kill any number of Death Eaters in this attempt but it didn't appear to truly matter to Voldemort as his grin turned vicious.

Unless he wanted to kill off a few of the weaker Death Eaters, Harry realized in disgust. He had known that the Dark Lord was still slightly insane due to the ritual at the end of his fourth year but with three elementals he should have been at least sane enough to realize this plan had little success.

"My dear elementals, you shall be helping in this next part."

Draco puffed up in pride at that comment though Harry thought he could see worry in the emotions that flickered across his face. Luna wasn't paying attention at all. Harry shook his head and turned away from their marvellous leader. He didn't agree with this method of transportation.

Harry knew that since it would be their first time taking people to travel with them some would be killed in the attempt. How many were killed all depended on how hard they concentrated on their task. The harder they concentrated the more people were likely to live. However Harry didn't believe that they should depend on their level of concentration since any slight distraction could have everyone killed excluding the three elementals and their master.

The look in the Dark Lord's eyes said it all though. He wasn't going to concede on this point. The only thing Harry could do was give advice so that some may survive.

"If you're going to do this your way then you might want your Inner Circle and the people you actually need as close to us as possible. Otherwise they will be killed with the others." Harry whispered to the Dark Lord keeping his eyes set firmly on the island in the distance.

Harry knew that if any of Voldemort's Inner Circle were killed by them then they would be punished for it regardless of whether or not they had meant for it to occur. He knew some of their number would die today through their own mistakes but he wasn't about to risk the lives of his siblings because of their misfortune.

The closer a person was to the elemental the greater likelihood that they would survive this travel since their powers would expand and contract during the journey. The contraction of their powers would likely cut someone out of the safety net of their abilities and in Draco's case drop them mid-air. Luna would accidentally drown anyone and Harry would bury them alive. It would be a horrifying death for them and one that the others would probably delight in much to his disgust.

Harry knew instantly he had made the correct decision about revealing that fact to the Dark Lord when he told his minions to surround Luna and Draco by rank those with the highest rank on the inside and those with a lower rank on the outside. Confusion flowed through Harry at this. Curious, he turned towards the Dark Lord who stood slightly behind him.

"If you allow me to take some people as well it will lessen the burden placed on Draco and Luna." He commented.

Voldemort's grin was malicious and unsettled Harry in a way that he couldn't possibly explain. This Dark Lord before him was insane there was no doubt it. As much as he wanted to deny it he couldn't. The closer the Dark Lord moved towards Azkaban the further from reality he slipped. It was unpleasant and Harry was positive he didn't want to be around him in such a mood.

"Why would I do that little one? You are mine and only those I find truly loyal and trustworthy will ever come near you."

"You don't trust anyone with my welfare other than yourself." Harry dead-panned finding it difficult to communicate with an insane Dark Lord.

The chuckle that left the Dark Lord was anything but reassuring.

"Luna, Draco, Harry and I shall go over first then you will follow do you understand?" Voldemort commanded.

Sighing, he felt Lord Voldemort wrap his arms around his waist which was highly unnecessary. He ignored it, concentrating on his task as he nodded to Luna and Draco.

Breathing deeply he focused on the ground beneath them. The ground opened up beneath them before swallowing them whole. Darkness surrounded them and Harry was becoming increasingly aware that Voldemort's arms weren't remaining in the one place. They brushed against sensitive areas that Harry would rather never have to think about with the Dark Lord in the same sentence. Harry's breath hitched when they roamed down further. He became acutely aware of Voldemort's lustful chuckle in his ear and cringed. Voldemort was purposefully distracting him.

Harry felt his ability control contract around them leaving them with only a minimal amount of room to move. It was both a good and bad. Voldemort no longer had the space to roam Harry's body however one false move and they were both dead. If he hadn't been so concentrated on keeping them alive then he would have turned around and immediately told him off. However he didn't really want to be buried alive with Voldemort of all people so he forced himself to ignore the hands.

Slowly his shield expanded back to its regular size. It was almost painful to watch the area around them gain slowly. If he had been claustrophobic they would never have survived. Luckily they finally arrived. What felt like minutes of being underground had in reality only been seconds. Harry immediately wished never to do that again.

"Good work my little snake." Voldemot purred in his ear.

Harry shivered. He watched without a thought as Voldemort signalled for the others to travel. If he had that much trouble with only one person he couldn't imagine the frustration and lack of concentration he would have had bringing an entire group over. Many of the group would be killed. It was an unbearable thought, one that Harry knew Luna and Draco would be forced to live with.

Draco was the first to arrive. Relief flooded him upon seeing both Draco and Lucius alive. Luna arrived next and immediately concern flooded Harry. It was obvious both were physically fine. However the torment pouring off both the Air and Water Elemental revealed they had lost people on the way over. Sure they both took measures to hide their loss from the others but the connection between them didn't allow for emotions to remain hidden.

Harry swiftly scanned the people and realized none of the Inner Circle was missing. That was something at least. It meant they would be praised for their attempt rather than punished later upon their return.

Voldemort held him close, giving orders to the surviving Death Eaters none of who seemed fazed by the death of their comrades. With at least half of the Outer Circle no longer amongst them that left the others with brighter opportunities to gain their master's favour. If Harry hadn't been caught in the middle of everything he might have scoffed at the rather Slytherin tactics some used to reach their goals. He would bet at least half of them had purposefully killed their comrades.

"Now, Draco, blow down the door so we may begin."

Harry sighed. The theatrics of the entire situation were out of hand all due to the insanity of the Dark Lord. He hoped with the last Elemental that would right itself. At least then perhaps they all wouldn't be killed when the next war began.

Once the doors were blown open, Harry knew what was going to happen. The Death Eaters would set about freeing their comrades and those who desired to join the cause. Then the other inmates would be tortured for fun as well as any human guards that they could locate. It was going to be a horrific scene and one the Dark Lord approved on. Not that it mattered to him since Voldemort would be making an alliance with the Dementors. Harry sincerely prayed that he wouldn't be dragged to go and witness that. He wanted nothing to do with the Dementors.

Luckily enough Voldemort seemed preoccupied with the raid and immediately released Harry to enter Azkaban. Looking around, he realized that many people had already entered excluding Luna and the one person he desired to speak with, Severus.

"Do you think the Order will come and stop this?" Harry wondered finally after escaping the Dark Lord's grasp.

Severus shook his head. Even with the scowl firmly on his face, Harry could see that Severus didn't like this situation any better than he did. They were both firmly ignoring the terror and pain around them as a result.

"This was a surprise attack that he planned alone. No one else aided in the preparation. Only the Dark Lord knew of the full extent to which this was going to happen. I didn't have time to alert the Order or anyone else so they will find out along with the remainder of the Wizarding World tomorrow morning. Explaining this won't be easy."

"What will we have to explain?"

A scream overhead interrupted them. Two Death Eaters were torturing a guy near the blown out wall of the prison. Unluckily, the poor guy fell as he twitched from the curse. The ground around Harry acted instinctively and wrapped around them easily teleporting them away from the spot they were just standing. When the earth around them cleared they turned to see a man lying sprawled in the dirt obviously dead.

Having fallen from that height while under the curse, Harry would consider it a miracle if he did survive. Severus gave him a withering glare for moving them without any warning before answering his original question.

"Unfortunately, several facts will need explaining once this gets out. Regardless of how careful we are, Dumbledore will discover the identities of most of the people present which include: Luna, Draco and us. Then we will need to explain why we did nothing to cease any of the torture. There are other facts but we will have to discuss those later. On the bright side, you will finally have access to an Order meeting."

Harry scowled. He had known keeping everything from the Order wouldn't be a feasible idea for long. They certainly did have their ways to discover the knowledge the Dark Lord kept. However he hadn't wanted that to arrive so soon.

"Well we'll just have to work around the facts then won't we?"

Severus nodded realising their conversation was coming to an end as the cold seeped towards them ominously. The presence of the Dementors weren't bad so far but he could feel the chill and knew that they wouldn't be remaining at Azkaban. Harry however was lost in painful memories.

x-x-x-x-x

The door blew open violently while his mother held onto him facing toward the crib so he would be protected by her body.

"Stand aside." The cold voice spoke.

"Please! No, not Harry! Not Harry!"

"Stand aside you silly girl!"

"Not Harry anything but Harry!"

A cackle of laughter, a scream and a flash of green were the answer…

x-x-x-x-x

The cupboard was dark. He didn't like it for as much as he wanted it to be a safe haven it wasn't. The small space was a prison. The room was dark and musty with only a small grill on the door for any relief to the smells.

Unfortunately this led to his current situation. His uncle's breath smelt putrid to his small nose.

"This is where freaks like you deserve to be."

Harry shivered. At least he wasn't being beaten.

x-x-x-x-x

The glass which he had just dropped was cutting up his feet. Blood was coating the floor like water. His aunt didn't appear to care as tears streamed down his eyes.

"Stupid boy look what you've done that was my grandfather's crystal!"

She hit backhanded him sending him sprawling.

x-x-x-x-x

The rain kept falling. He was locked outside yet again and it was raining.

The people passing by didn't care that he was alone and out in that weather. All they cared about was getting home. Families. They were supposed to care for one another.

All he could think was why his parents had left him with his "family".

x-x-x-x-x

His Aunt Marge stood before him. She did the one thing he feared, she released her dog.

"Sick him Ripper!"

Harry screamed.

x-x-x-x-x

A touch on his shoulder jolted him back from his memories.

"Harry, are you alright?" Severus asked concern filtering through his voice.

Severus had immediately seen how Harry had frozen with their proximity to the Demetors of Azkaban. Since their third year Harry had never been able to stand the Dementors. Sure he could avoid them by using his Patronus but in a situation like this using a Patronus would only be disastrous towards their master's goal. Without thought he wrapped Harry in his arms hoping that the touch of another person would drag him away from whatever was ailing him.

Harry leaned eagerly into Severus' touch. He hated Dementors. They always brought out the memories that Harry was eager to never witness again. At times he had thought about obliviating them from his mind but then he rationalized that without those memories he wouldn't be the person he was today and he liked who he was. It was a problem he had to live with.

"Severus, what are you doing with my little one?"

Both tensed upon hearing that chilling voice. Awkwardly they broke apart from each other. They hadn't really kept track of what was occurring around them during the attack and now they were surrounded by Death Eaters all waiting for Severus to be punished for touching something that belonged to their Lord.

Harry looked into the sea of new Death Eaters and immediately spotted the ones that had been imprisoned. They were all covered in grime from head to foot with ratty, unkept hair. However that wasn't what revealed them as prisoners, it was the insane look they had in their eyes. All of them had it yet some were more noticeable than others.

Bellatrix Lestrange had a deranged smile on her face accompanying the insane gleam in her eye. Thankfully next to her Rudolphus and Rabastan looked relatively saner though looks could be deceiving when it came to Slytherins. They were known members of Voldemort's Inner Circle alongside Lucius and Severus though it appeared the two latter people had better cunning than the former.

"Harry, come to me."

Without much choice in the matter Harry moved closer towards Harry and away from Severus. However he wasn't giving the Dark Lord any satisfaction. He walked calmly away from Severus however he didn't actually move within touching distance of Voldemort. No he was too angry with his master to allow him anything to do what he wanted and wrap his arms around him.

No he was tired of playing the helpless victim any longer. He wouldn't allow the Dark Lord to control him like he had been any longer. He wasn't going to hang off Voldemort's every word like Draco nor take everything as it came with Luna. Voldemort however didn't seem to recognize the spark in Harry's eyes and chose to address his loyal followers.

"My faithful we are finally all together. After many long years I have returned to my body and can continue our great and noble plans. We shall create a new world order from the ruins of this one! Now let us return to our headquarters and celebrate our triumph this night!"

Voldemort instantly rapped an arm around Harry and disapparated from the scene leaving the ruins of the wizarding prison for the Aurors to locate in the morning.

x-x-x-x-x

Laughs surrounded Harry. It was about two in the morning and everyone was still celebrating their success at releasing the prisoners of Azkaban, the Dark Lord's most faithful followers. They had also gained a few new recruits, most joining out of vengeance to their prosecutors. He really didn't care that they were all celebrating their successful raid of one of the most secure locations in the wizarding world. No he was angered over the creatures.

The Dementors had been brought back with them and he could hear his mother screaming his name in his ear. The chills that surrounded the entire manor were enough of a reminder that they had just been to visit the prison but they remained around as if they could sense Harry's thoughts.

The escapees didn't feel anything at all for the cold that seeped in through the doors and windows. They were used to the Dementors effects. Severus was also alright along with all of the Slytherins who normally lived in dark damp places. That left Luna but fortunately she had been dismissed as soon as they had returned leaving Harry as the only one suffering.

Voldemort could obviously sense his Elementals discomfort not only from the bond but from the looks and shifting he was doing. They were in direct line of each other since that was how the Dark Lord had positioned himself however he did nothing to help him.

Harry couldn't stand it.

With one last glare at his almighty "master" Harry swept silently away from the joyous celebration. No one stopped him though many cast him a few curious looks as he passed. None would be stupid enough to attempt to stop him from leaving not when he was in a dangerous mood. Not only were the plates and furniture shaking in his uncontrollable rage but so was the actual manor.

Without any thought of where he was going, he ended finding himself in his room across the hall from the Dark Lord's personal rooms. How could that man knowingly put him through that much pain while also attempting to get him on his side of war? It didn't make sense and only further infuriated Harry.

A knock at the door signalled the Dark Lord's arrival and though Harry found it pleasant that he had at least thought of doing that much he didn't want to speak to the man at all. There would be no explaining this away as some punishment. No, he had taken this too far and Harry was going to put his foot down.

"What is the matter my little snake? Have I done something to upset you because it appeared as if you were having such a good time?" Voldemort purred upon entering his room.

"You know nothing about me."

Harry knew that his own voice sounded flat and emotionless compared to Voldemort's impassioned tones but he couldn't help it. He was trying to reign in his temper for a little longer but it wouldn't work especially since the Dark Lord would demand to know what was wrong even if it were obvious.

"Was it because I told you to move away from your beloved father figure, Severus? If so dear Harry then all you had to do was say so. I would have allowed you to remain by his side for the remainder of the night after all we did accomplish a great feat tonight. You should be rewarded."

And just like that the gates crashed open.

"_You think that I am upset over the fact you ordered me away from Severus? Ha! If only you knew... I bet you aren't even aware why I'm so angry at you!"_

Voldemort was startled by the use of Parseltongue. It was normally used in great emotional upheavals which meant that something was seriously annoying his little one and he had been the cause of it. Harry stalked towards him poking him in the chest so harshly that he stumbled back slightly.

"_You crave for me to fight for your cause and yet you insist on doing these things without any knowledge of how it would affect me! Did you know that every time I near a Dementor that I hear the death of my mother on repeat? Did you know that if they remain around me longer I have every single bad memory from my life on play for me to relive?"_

Harry so into his rant didn't even realize that Voldemort was completely flabbergasted at his reaction. Sure he had expected Harry to scream at him for a while but this was something he hadn't planned on.

"_My life as a child was nearly as bad as yours however where you had solace in knowing that you were alone I knew they were related to me. The continuous screaming in my ear merely make me want to kill you right now regardless of what would happen to me if I were to try! I bet you didn't know that did you? Well at least now you have something to think about." _

With one last glare Harry pushed Voldemort out of his room. The door slammed in his shocked face. For once someone had overpowered the Dark Lord Voldemort.

x-x-x-x-x

The pain in his wrist was unbearable. Hours ago the third Elemental has been claimed by their Master. Three out of four had turned towards their master and agreed to the claim but he wasn't ready. He didn't want to turn towards the one man his parents had always told him was pure evil. But it wasn't as if he could ignore the band forever.

It pulsed on occasion reminding him every day he left it go the more pain he would be in. Sure it would take years to be under so much pain that he would have to cease working but that wasn't what he desired. He enjoyed work, to be away from the family that had always pushed him away for being too "nerdy" as his siblings put it. He wanted to do something so different from his siblings that they had to acknowledge him as someone better than they were.

Being an Elemental would certainly grant him power and prestige they would never be able to obtain. However he would need to contact Harry Potter. He needed guidance and from what the whispers around the Ministry, Harry Potter was the one to go to. Yet caution stayed his hand. He would wait, he decided, for a sign the tides were turning before he moved.

Six hours later and he had his answer… The Daily Prophet stared up at him. It's headline smirked at him damning him with this Elemental curse.

"Azkaban Escapees Out For Revenge."

* * *

**I wanted more in this chapter but it started becoming far longer than I desired for this story. So Part 2 shall be next. Enjoy!**

**~MidnightEmber**


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